Interview with David Baltimore - Caltech Oral Histories

Baltimore-94
BALTIMORE: I don’t remember. He actually was not a Caltech person, but he appreciated
astrophysics and he wanted to do this.
LIPPINCOTT: So he was a layman, and he was devoted to what they were doing
BALTIMORE: That’s right. He had made money in real estate and elsewhere, and the gift came
in very strange bits and pieces of real estate and money and—
LIPPINCOTT: Are you fond of the design
BALTIMORE: I think it’s terrific. I think it’s just extraordinary. I said to myself, “This is going
to be the premier spot on the campus to build a building.” Because it’s on California, more
people would see it.
LIPPINCOTT: Very visible.
BALTIMORE: Very visible. The Broad building is very visible on Wilson, but there isn’t that
much traffic on Wilson, whereas there’s huge traffic on California. So this was going to be sort
of the defining image of Caltech, and I thought it ought to be really special. Now, in the end—
LIPPINCOTT: It’s the color that’s startling.
BALTIMORE: Yes, it is, actually. But the color really is meant to reflect the Mediterranean
colors of the old buildings—the tiles on the roofs of the South Houses. And it’s not exactly the
same color as that; it’s not as red; it’s a little rustier. But—
LIPPINCOTT: Maybe it’ll fade with time.
BALTIMORE: No, I don’t think it will fade with time.
LIPPINCOTT: [Laughter] Before we get off this subject, can we talk a little bit about the Richard
Serra controversy