ELT :m1b

November 1, 1967

Mr. David Rockefeller
Room 5600

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10020 -

Dear David:

This is in response to your earlier invitation
to communicate to you and the Trustees any
additional thoughts on the future of the University,
particularly in regard to the selection of the
new President,

Foremost among my thoughts on this most
important matter, may I reaffirm my opinion,
widely shared by the senior faculty, that the

-future of the University lies in maintaining its

primary emphasis on, and assuring its preeminence
in, experimental bio-medical science, This will
require strengthening certain areas, such as
blochemistry, organic chemistry and physical
chemistry, and can best be assured through the
leadership of a President who is himself an
outstanding biomedical scientist.

In line with this thinking, I want to endorse
consideration of two possibilities Which have
been brought to my attention recently. I believe
both have been submitted to you by others. These
are Joshua Lederberg of Stanford University, and
Eugene P, Kennedy, of Harvard University.

Without at this time going into any detail,
I wanted to confirm my personal and professional
enthusiasm for these two men, and my feeling that
both deserve consideration, I would, of course,
be happy to enlarge on their qualifications if this

would be helpful.

Finally, I also wanted to reaffirm the interest
and concern all members of the faculty have in this

important appointment and to reaffirm the desire of

the faculty, as individuals, or through the new

‘Faculty Council, or both, to be helpful to the
(i Trustees in every way possible,

Sincerely yours,

ELL. Tatum