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THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY

1230 YORK AVENUE - NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10021

 

THE PRESIDENT

September 21, 1978

Mr. P. O. Williams
Director

The Wellcome Trust
1 Park Square West
London, NWl 4LJ
England

Dear Mr. Williams:

Please forgive the delay in responding to your
letter of July 18. Throughout the summer I was deep-
ly involved in completing obligations at Stanford and
moving my family to New York City, and I am just now
catching up on many important matters.

To respond to your specific questions regarding
Dr. R. T. Reese's application, I will outline the
situation on our campus with respect to research in
tropical diseases, such as the work on malaria in
Professor William Trager's laboratory. I have been
deeply interested in this area, e.g. through working
on WHO-ACMR to launch WHO's recent initiative. So I
was happy to discover the vigorous effort on these
problems at The Rockefeller University when I arrived
here. During the next several years FP will work hard
to promote our scientific programs in this field. Such
contributions to urgent international health goals sure-
ly deserve national but also international support. At
this time US sources are just beginning to answer to
our national responsibilities in this field; when they
do I hope they will be responsive to good proposals
from any quarter.

Regarding Dr. Reese's specific needs for renova-
ting his laboratory: he and Professor Trager have made
Inariy “inquiries to federal agencies and to potential
private sponsors. Unfortunately, renovation funds are
the hardest to get from such sources. The University
has made some funds available; but the limits on our
independent resources obligate, as a matter of policy,
all laboratories to look to external support.
Mr. P. O. Williams
September 21, 1978

- 2 —

You did ask why the University itself did not
answer Dr. Reese's application. After several years
of substantial deficits, the University is now in
fiscal balance in its operating budget; but we are
still in red ink with respect to capital items and
renovations. I realize that many people have an
image of the resources of The Rockefeller University
which is unhappily out of date. I will be happy to
send you the gory details if you wish.

Although Professor Trager will "retire" in about
two years, he plans to continue to be active on our
campus thereafter as an emeritus investigator. For.
example, I have just approved a major program that
goes for three years. Further, although Dr. Reese
does not have contractual tenure, his present appoint-
ment extends to October 31, 1979 and he is eligible
for renewal after the appropriate reviews. In view
of our firm commitment to research in this area, reno-
vation of the laboratory would support parasitological
research for a long time.

We hope you will find it possible to support Dr.
Reese's modest application. Beyond that as we develop
our plans further, I would welcome further discussion
about the general fields in which the Wellcome Trust
and the University share common interests.

*
Sincerely,

sew kote |
cc: Mr. Rodney W. Nichols

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