UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

 

 

BERKELEY * DAVIS * IRVINE © LOS ANGELES * RIVERSIDE * SAN DIEGO * SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA * SANTA CRUZ

 

 

 

DAVID S. SAXON OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR
President of the University LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA WRK 92093

WILLIAM D. McELROY
Chancellor at San Diego

August 12, 1977

Professor Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
School of Medicine

Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Josh:

I am not so sure that I can be of a great deal of help to you,
except to clarify one very basic point. [I am not quite sure
that 1939 was the exact year in which I talked with Beadle
about the microorganisms for biochemical mutants, but I do know
that I did the following summer (1940). That was the only
time I went back to Stanford after graduation. [I did so to
take a physiology course and to visit with Beadle in his lab.
It was then that he showed me the Neurospora growth tubes and
how to isolate the ascospores. By this time (the summer of,
1940), he was well underway in working with Neurospora which
leads me to believe that he must have begun this work some
months earlier. Surely, Beets must have some records on all
of this.

The following summer of 1941, I was full time at the Hopkins

Marine Station and did not see Beets until later as a post-—doc

in 1945 when I did have a chance to talk with Ed before he left

for Yale. I remember at the time I was writing a review on a book
that was claiming that bacteria had nuclei. I have forgotten the
author; but if it's important, let me know, and I'll do some
searching. I also remember talking with Ed about this, and he

"saw no reason why bacteria could not have primitive nuclei because
they obviously had genetic material that was passed on in some
quantitative way to the next generation.”

I know nothing about the Taylor-Tressider battle, but I do
remember Beets going through great agony in trying to make a
decision whether or not to go to Caltech. I remember when we were
all sitting around talking about this that one reason he was going

was to make Caltech a better biology department than Columbia which,
at that time, was considered to be the #1 department in the country.

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Q "™M CX OW! | 3 D\A\
August 12, 1977
Professor Joshua Lederberg
Stanford, California 94305

-2-

I do hope that this information is of some use to you.
Best regards.

Sincerely yours,
x

W. D. McElroy
Chancetlor