Department of Medical Genetics

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Dear Hilary:

We were pleased to have your notice about change of place-- we were wondering
how long to 'keep a aecret' that was becoming very well known. There ia no need
to repeat our earnest good wishes for you and enthusiasm for your mission,
which is so close to our own perapectives.

I
April 7, 1957

Are you and Koprowaka planning to move soon from Englewood, or will you
commute for the time being?

Be have been going through a period of chaos ani indecision ourselves. All
since our frank discussions on our living room carpet, we have had to weigh the
most attractive offers from Stanford, Harvard and Berkeley, and them in relation
to the developments in Medical Genetica here, which have been coming to a head
more or less independently of the exogenous stimuli. At present, we have narrowed
our views to Berkeloy and Madison, and 4¢ will be some time bofore formal com it~
mente are in order. In no cage would we move before July 1958, and 1f we do go
it micht even be later than that.

Meanwhile, a Department of Medical Genetics has been formally organized here,
and precisely along the lines of the discussion of our cor:ion interest, I am oniy
sorry that the timing wae inappropriate for the materdalization of a progra
that might have tempted you! for exemple, the State Hygiene Laboratory will shortly
have a vacant [irectorship, axl there is every reason that the splendid physical
facilities should be devoted to a fundamental aren of research. But these are
juet personel musings for the precent. Our new department is in the stage of
discovering its bearings -- one possible help is a syposium being planned for
next April on the theme of genera) Medical Genetics, that is. wheat are the various
areas of genetic research which are pertinent to medicine. (Ae you know, 'ledica?
Genetics’ means a department of Genetics in a Medica! School, and nothing more
restrictivee, If the plans caterialize, we hope you may 2e interested to visit
Madison for it.

Ye suppose you will be too busy to follow through your former plan of spending
a couples of weeke here this spring, but the welcome ig here nevertheless.

To shift the acens, the long term prospects at Berkeley ror an Institute
program of mutual interest should not be discouraging either. “Ye can't imagine
that you will develop a fanatical attachment to Philadelphia ac a nlace to live.
So we must just walt to see what the future will brine.

In any case, all our hest to both of you,

Joshua and Esther Lederberg