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cos THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERS!I

NEW YORK, i. ¥.10021

 

May 3, 1979

Dr. Joshua Lederberg, President
The Rockefeller University

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

This is just a note to tell you again how much
I appreciated your visit yesterday. It was extremely
kind of you to take the time from your busy schedule to
come over here and I hope that it gives you satisfaction
to know that you gave me much pleasure and a great deal of

. information. My fondest hope is that I may have been able

to be of some small help to you. As you know, my associa-
tion with Rockefeller is of over forty years' standing
and consequently I have a great interest in and deep affec-
tion for the institution. I was greatly encouraged by our
talk and had the feeling that we will prosper under your
leadership. While I recognize that, as you so aptly put
it, it is never possible to re-create the past, nor should
one try, I had the feeling that you would select those ele-
ments of the past which would be helpful in the future. I
might add that your parting words were deeply appreciated.

Our conversation was so interesting that I quite
forgot to mentioned that Phoebe and I shared a friendship
with someone very close to you. We had been very intimate
friends of Vi and Ed Tatum. We suffered with them through
those last dismal years although I prefer to remember the
many happy times we had together and the stimulating scientif-
ic discussions that I often had with Ed in the lab. It was
a great loss to us and to Rockefeller when he died. Emphy-
sema is truly a terrible disease. .

Your kind invitation for me to join in the lun-
cheons, should they materialize, was heartwarming. Nothing
would please me better, but as I mentioned, the spirit may be
willing but I am not sure that the body is up to it. I hope,
however, that we may keep this in mind and make the final
decision if and when the time should come.

Again many thanks for your visit.

Sincerely,

Ven. oS Mew
“Lill... Vic
WHS/in William H. Stein