January 9, 1974

Dr. David Mumford

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Baylor College of Medicine

Texas Medical Center

Houston, Texas 77025
Dear Dave,

I just wanted to pass on to you the rather good news that our
research program in molecular genetics has received another gift from
a private donor to the extent of $50,000 which solves our immediate
crisis problem. In addition, it looks as if the unfreezing of funds
at the NIH will allow the resumption of grants funding so that for
another year at least we may expect to be back on course.

Tl teannot tell you how useful your foundation's initial gift of
$10,000 was in sustaining my confidence that we would be able to
ride out the storm. It was, as you may imagine, a very discouraging
period, and in part, paradoxically, because I was having little
difficulty in finding funds for other kinds of programs and the
temptation was therefore the greater to throw up my hands in exasperation
about continuing my work in the molecular genetics laboratory area.
However, that is now past us for the time being.

This experience has, of course, been a very telling one in showing
how vulnerable so many of us are in the pursuit of our careers when we
become so totally dependent on federal funding. I certainly do not have
to educate you along these lines! Although we have then weathered this
particular storm and need no longer approach the problem in a crisis
atmosphere, I would therefore be very appreciative of your helping me
to pursue other initiatives that over a longer period of time may help
provide some additional security for the continuity of our work, enable
us to pursue some directions that do not appropriataly fit into federal

funding, and may help to fill out some other elements of our overall
progran.

For just the latter segment I have particularly in mind our growing
rapprochement with some problems on the clinical side that is embodied
in our biochemical screening laboratory. We do expéct very substantial
support fairly soon from the NIGMS for this activity, and I will be in

touch with you in a little while to give you some more details about how
we are going.
Dr. David Mumford -2- 1/9/74

a, Lia
Meret ime though I had the obligation and the pleasure to bring

you up-to-date on where we stand right now and, once again, my deep
thanks.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JL/rr