Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels made these comments during the announcement of the $100 million Mann Foundation endowment at Purdue University.

Creation of Mann Institute among Indiana's 'greatest days'

We have one such great scientist-inventor with us today, who has impinged, invariably for the good, on the history of his time, and on the history that will stretch on many many years before us.

It would be a — I say this sincerely — it would be a genuine honor, Mr. Mann, to welcome you and your family and your colleagues to our state on any day. We respect and regard so highly what you have accomplished.

Although you've had those wonderful encounters that you talked about with the people who know who you are and know what you have done, you also must live in the blessed understanding that there are thousands, tens of thousands, of people who will never know your name who also are alive today only because of you. Or leading better lives, only because of you.

It will always be a real privilege to have you in our state, on any day, and we salute you. But this is not any day.

Today is a day of rare importance to our state and to people far beyond our state.

I have to say next to President Martin Jischke: There will be many a day in the weeks just ahead in which we say thank you. In which we say well done. In which we say, a wistful French goodbye – au revoir.

But today is certainly a fitting day to say to you — at this moment of a genuine coup, a genuine capstone to all you have meant to Purdue in our state — well done, Martin Jischke. Great job.

Just a quick reflection about this agreement, this pact that is launched this morning. It is, as has been observed, innovative. It is fair.

The point I would make is that it is, unlike so many agreements in life, virtually selfless — on the part of both parties. Obviously on the part of the Mann Institute, created, animated, only by a sense of service. Bringing these life-changing technologies to others.

But here at Purdue it is part of the new dimension of service that Martin talked about. The new mission of a great university in this world. Not to abandon its traditional academic missions to prepare young minds for citizenship and productive lives, but to add to that the dimension of bringing to life, and bringing to lives of people everywhere, the products of genius.

We will always need our towers of ivory. But we will also need our towers of stainless steel and silicon, where people of rare genius do live and work.

And the term 'technology transfer' will need a synonym at some point.

It's accurate, but to me, it's too sterile to capture the impact on humanity of what happens when the kind of people that reside at the Mann Institute, the kind of people that reside in greater and greater numbers here at Purdue, apply their rare talents to the new products and services that the world is crying out for.

So I believe this arrangement to be eminently fair and positive for the two parties who made it directly.

I will tell you that it is absolutely in the interest of the state of Indiana.

How like Purdue, how like Martin Jischke, to include in this agreement a tilt, a first preference at least, for Hoosier firms.

For the firms that will be founded and led by the young people who, if they grow up in this state or came to this state to study, may choose to live in this state and build great companies in this state — lead lives of service, like Alfred Mann has led, from this state.

Later today, I will welcome to Indiana a medical device and software company from a different land, from the U.K. Two weeks ago, (there was) an announcement that one of the world's premier laboratory equipment companies will relocate to Indiana from California.

Don't tell us that Indiana and Purdue cannot be centers of the new science, the new genius, that promises so much in the century ahead.

So this is not just any day. This is one of the greatest days our state has seen.

But we know for sure, by its nature, that in the days ahead there will be many echoes, many happy echoes, of this most happy day.

Thanks to all who made it possible.

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