SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
cr STANFORD UNIVERSITY, STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94505

JOSHUA LEDERBERG May 2, 1978
Josepu D. GRaxt PROFESSOR
OF GENETICS

Dr. James F. O'Donnell
Division of Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Dear Dr. O'Donnell:

Thank you for your letter of April 24 and for your invitation
to serve on the Biotechnology Resources Advisory Committee. I must
of course take pleasure at the confidence which is entailed in your
invitation, and the knowledge of the importance of the mission of
your division.

On the other hand, as you may know, I am about to undertake a
demanding task as President of The Rockefeller University also
beginning July 1. In the circumstances, it simply would not be
either very realistic or very prudent to accept still further
commitments beyond those already made or which are inextricably
linked to this new position. I hope that after I have been in place
for a little while 1 will be in a better position to assess what I
can do by way of further service along these lines and that it would
then be possible for me to be more responsive to such obligations.
Meanwhile, if there are other tasks of shorter duration and compass
whereby I can be more likely to be able to be of help, I hope you
will not hesitate to inquire about the possibility.

Yours sincerely,

JL/gel