21st July, 1958,
Dear Professor Stanley,
You might already have heard through Robley Williams that there have been suggestions from a number of people both in this country and the United States that a memorial fund be set up in honor of Rosalind Franklin.
A number of informal discussions have taken place here between Professor Bernal, Drs. Dorothy Hodgkin (Oxford), Mas Perutz (Cambridge), and myself to discuss the feasibility of setting up such a fund.  It was felt that the object of the fund might be one of the following (a) a research fellowship, (b) a travelling fellowship (for a few months in the year), (c) an annual memorial lecture (with speakers to be drawn from this country and abroad).  (a) is probably too ambitious since something like 15-20,000 pounds would be required to  endow it, (b) would probably require two to three times less and (c) perhaps five times less. The subject of (c) might be chosen alternately from either molecular biology or from the field of carbon and X-ray diffraction work.  However, in the first instance, the application of the fund would not be specified too closely since this would, of course, depend on how much money would be raised, and it was thought that initially no limit should be fixed. The objects of the fund would also have to be "charitable" in nature.
Secondly, we were advised that before a public appeal -- backed by distinguished names -- be launched, it would be as well to approach some large firms (industrial carbon, or biochemical, say) and foundations (e.g. Wellcome, Rockefeller), so that there would be something in hand to begin with.  While many individuals would undoubtedly wish to contribute out of friendship and respect, such firms or foundations might be interested in the furtherance of Rosalind Franklin's work and only with their support could any large scale fund be successful. Here the emphasis would be on the future.
It was also felt that any appeal should stress the international aspect of Miss Franklin's work, since she had co-operated with individuals and laboratories in the United States, France and Germany.
Apart from the names already mentioned, Sir Lawrence Bragg and Dame Kathleen Lonsdale have indicated their support; and Sir Alexander Todd has said he would help approach firms.  In the United States, a number of crystallographers in the East, notably Drs. Lindo Patterson (Philadelphia), Fankuchen and Harker (Brooklyn) are all deeply interested.
The next move will probably be to set up a British Committee to begin active fund-raising, and to keep in touch with the American side.
We would very much welcome any suggestions from you about the establishment and application of such a proposed fund, and any advice as to which firms and foundations in the United States might be approached, and how to set about doing this.
I am sending, with the manuscript for Bloomington, a short biographical note about Rosalind, and a copy of Professor Bernal's obituary notice in the Times, in case you have not seen it. The notice in Nature has just appeared (19th July).
I have sent a copy of this letter to Robley Williams.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron Klug