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OFFICE OF PUBLIC AWARENESS

Mr. Joshua Lederberg

Pres ident

The Rockefeller University
New York, New York 10021

Dear Joshua:
Thank you very much for your note on my retirement as a full-time

civil servant and for the attached American Journal of Medicine editorial,
with which I agree absolutely.

 

While I am not retiring from concern with environmental issues, I
have taken all I can of the slings and arrows of the outrageous politiza-
tion of the information apparatus of the Executive Branch of government
brought about by Nixon and continued by Carter.

At the moment, I am still working as a part-time retired annuitant
in EPA's Office of Public Affairs. Now that the Republicans have won
everything I hope to stick around just long enough to try to keep the
predictably hostile and ignorant political appointee who will soon
arrive to head this office from utterly ruining the few things that I
have had some opportunity to help set right in the last 3 1/2 years.
EPA, despite its rather bloated reputation as a relatively progressive
organization, has always been inferior to any old line agency you can
name when it comes to carrying out reasonably effective public information
and participation work.

Your editorial reminds me of one of the major areas of frustration
that I have experienced since EPA was created. For the first few years
of its existence public support for environmental control was so high
that the Agency flourished despite the fact that none of Nixon's
political appointees really understood its role and purpose. As for the
public health implications, it ran for a while on the lean fuel that had
already been produced by the major components of the Agency which came
from HEW, and when that ran out, there was nothing. It was not until
after Carter became President that an administrator would admit in public
that we were an agency basically involved in public health -- a most
amazing revelation. But the institution still suffers from the vacuous
traditions of its founders -- lawyers and economists who had gained

the upper hand over the handful of scientists and the few literate

_ engineers who had worked in these programs in HEW.

Enough of all that. All I meant to say is that I was greatly
pleased to hear from you, and wish you continued success in everything

you do.

Sincerely,

4
/ EVIL L

Thomas F. Williams

Enc: October 30, 1980 speech before
the League of Women Voters

AMA Conference agenda