WARF (as distinguished from Worf) stands for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and this year, it does indeed pass its centennial. WARF (as distinguished from wharf) launched on either June 22 or November 14 1925 — the former date is when the regents approved the organization’s plan and the latter is when its charter was officially filed. WARF (as distinguished from Whorf) was the brainchild of Harry Steenbock, who had invented a process for enriching foods with Vitamin D using ultraviolet radiation. He wanted to patent his idea, and he wanted the university to benefit from the funds generated by that patent. Thus a foundation to file patents and then license them to businesses. The Steenbock process helped eliminate rickets in the United States, and it generated a lot of money to support UW research. Over the decades, WARF (as distinguished from WERF) has had a series of financial successes, including the invention of warfarin, a chemical that is both a valuable blood-thinner and an effective rat poison. Today, WARF (as distinguished form warts) continues to help UW researchers put their ideas into the marketplace — read more about the organization’s latest ventures in On Wisconsin.