THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 725 N. WOLFE STREET DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21205 February 17, 1969 Dr. Daniel Nathans c/o Dr. Leo Sacks Department of Genetics Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel Dear Dan: Thanks for your good letter which I received on getting back from California. Leal and I are both delighted to learn that you are all having a wonderful time in your new surroundings. We were particularly glad to hear that the kids are enthusiastic about their schools, and that Joanne will be teaching English to high school students. Your description of the Weizmann Institute confirms all the things that Charlie Thomas wrote to us about it last year. Having been away for about two weeks, I haven't recently talked with Ham and Bernie about the virology experiments for the course, but will do so in the near future. Manfred told me earlier this week of the work he has already completed on a new immunology experiment. I'm hoping that we can get most of the preliminary work done before the spring quarter. The student report on the curriculum stresses the intro- duction of elementary history-taking in physical diagnosis in the first year and better correlation of preclinical teaching in both the first and second years. The report is restrained and very thoughtfully written, although there is a more militant segment of students who are critical of its contents and approach. Julie Krevans' committee is scheduled to submit their final report on Monday. We will then get to work and try to consolidate the recommendations so that they can be reviewed widely by the students and faculty. During our visit to the West Coast, we learned that the student unrest regards preclinical teaching, in particular, is increasing inevery part of the country. Recently at NYU, Dr. Daniel Nathans 2 February 17, 1969 lectures in biochemistry were booed by dissatisfied students. I hope that our own curriculum reforms will forestall such unpleasant occurrences, but there seems to be developing a very strong anti- science trend in the student reactions. The desire for clinically- oriented preclinical teaching seems to dominate the desires of all but the most perceptive students. It seems to me that as a faculty we have a responsibility to respond appropriately to this development; but just how we should do it, I am not quite certain at the moment. One thing that I am sure is important to develop is more participa-~ tion by the students in the curriculum deliberations than has been customary in the past. Leal and I had a wonderful trip to California where we spent several days in Carmel at the meetings of the Western Association of Physicians, and then went on first to Stanford for three days to see the Glasers and talk with members of the Stanford faculty, and then to Pasadena where we visited Bill and his family for about a week and gave some lectures at the University of Southern California. The whole trip was extremely stimulating, and I had an opportunity to see many of the Caltech faculty, as well as Paul Berg, Arthur Kornberg, and Lederberg at Stanford, and Crick,Monod, Mel Cohn, and Renato Dulbecco at the Salk Institute. I also had a wonderful half-hour with Seymour Benzer, during which he told me about the work he is now doing in behav- ioral biology. During the visit he also told me that Bill is to receive the National Academy of Sciences Award in molecular biology this year. Needless to say, we are tremendously elated over this development. Bernie has been running the departmental seminars very well, and, although the attendance has not been too large, the sessions in general have been excellent. We do, however, miss your presence a great deal. Leal joins me in sending best wishes to the whole family. Thanks again for your good letter. Sincerely, Aare, 2 W. Barry Wood, Jr., M.D. in f os Oyo 7 . A é . Ah, . - ES GEL aw ELE Maw ferred eof of rn Monat ECA 4 f f . kD pi oe i oo aoe Love & a chil A, Jo a & SK log a Fw ?