STANFORD UNIVERSITY

STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

January 29, 1987
Ref. 1987-17

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
President

The Rockefeller University
Box 115

1230 York Avenue

New York, New York 10021

Dear Josh:

You may recall that in April or May 1986 you had discussed with me your
desire to procure certain information regarding the course that Ed Tatum
gave under the auspices of the Department of Chemistry, I remember that

I promised to make the necessary search of the departmental records in
July or August. Actually, procrastination being so sweet, I didn't under-
take the search until a few weeks ago.

The result has been futile, disappointing and surprising. At the moment

the administrative records of the Department of Chemistry are on file in

the department only as far back as 1962, One person who should certainly
know about the earlier records assured me that they were in the department
and covered the period back to 1915 or so. She even mentioned where they
were filed away. Actually, they were not to be found where they presumably
rested until a year or two ago. Another member of the faculty who had served
as an assistant executive head for several years assured me that they were
indeed filed away within the department and were seemingly complete back to
at least 1915 or so. Another member of the department who had served recently
as the executive head questioned all of this and said that he had never seen
the early records,

The suggestion emerged that they might have been sent over for deposit in the
University archives. I have asked the University archivist about this and
have been told in reply that there is nothing in the archives which can be
identified as the administrative records of the department, Apparently they
do have on file in the archives some of the correspondence, almost one foot
deep, of Robert Eckles Swain covering the period 1916 to 1938. I do not know
the year in which Tatum gave the course of lectures, but if per chance the

date was not later than 1938 it is possible that the information you seek
may be in the Swain collection.

(cont inued)
Dr. Joshua Lederberg
January 29, 1987
Page two

I am sorry that I can't be more helpful ,only because the hiding place of
the administrative records prior to 1962 has not been determined, It is
unthinkable to me that the records may have been thrown overboard by
someone convinced that the storage space might be put to a better use.
With greetings, good wishes and personal regards,

Yours etc,

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J. Murray Lu k

Professor Emeritus

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