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Por September 6, 1979

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

PRESIDENT

Mr. George W. Pendygraft
Baker & Daniels

810 Fletcher Trust Building
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Dear Mr. Pendygraft:

Thank you very much indeed for your letter of
August 3lst and for the copy of the NAS report on GAC,
I certainly did read that with the greatest of interest!
It is too bad that a government agency that is supposed
to regulate fairly, ends up in being such an adversarial
position, by having committed itself to a policy so long
before the relevant facts could be available.

I hardly need to tell you of my own long standing
commitment to critical research in this general area.
Comparative toxicology represents a priority of such
national scientific interest that I have had concluded
that this University has a particular responsibility
and capability to engender a more enlightened framework
of discussion and policy formation.

The enclosure on this subject is taken from my first
annual report, which is in the press. I hope it is not
too forward to ask if you might be able to be of some
help in identifying further sponsors for the organization
of our research programs in this direction. Ideally, I
would like to collect an endowment fund, totalling $3
million, to be able to ensure a program of the highest
quality, autonomy, and credibility. This is not so easily
done, although I have lined up a few tentative partial
entries into such a package. A number of other organiza-
tions have been eager to help us to the extent of, for
example, $100,000 per year for a period of time. At the
present moment what I most need are gifts and pledges
toward the general concept of such a program, so that I
can recruit the outstanding principals and get the labora-
tory well started. I am sure there will be no difficulty
Mr. George W. Pendygraft
September 6, 1979

-2-

whatsoever in getting operating funds for specific re-
search projects once the working engine is in place.
But, as you may know, pulling this together in the first
instance requires working capital of the sort which is
not available to an academic institution through cus-
tomary investment sources.

We do face some risk of diminished credibility if
our contributions are entirely short term grants from
industrial sources and particularly if directed to
specific paths. I believe the reputation and the reality
of critical scientific judgement that is embodied in the
tradition of this institution can sustain that credibility
and the more so as we intend to guard it most carefully.
Other remedies that we seek will, however, be joint sup-
port including federal research grants, and above all un-
restricted donations from private individuals by gift or
bequest.

Any help that you or your colleagues might offer, at
first, second, or third hand towards helping to recruit
the resources for this campaign would be most gratefully
received. You will also agree they would be in the service
of a very important cause in the public interest.

Needless to say, I would be happy to furnish any addi-
tional information that would be of interest to you; and
let me also ask that you and your colleagues take advantage
of any convenient opportunity that you may have to visit
here in New York to discuss any of the issues of recent,
present or future mutual interest.

Yours sincerely,

~

shua Lederberg |

Encls.

cc: Mr. Frederick Lehmann