August 25, 1967

Dr. Grayson Kirk
President

Columbia University

New York, New York 10027

Dear President Kirk:

By now you will possibly have received, though equally possibly not yet have
had time to read, my letter of August 16 concerning the Strickmann filter
controversy. I would like now to offer this postseript by way of an effort
to make a constructive suggestion to help Columbia University to recover its
damaged esteem.

There is no doubt that there has been considerable misunderstanding about the
implications of the University's relationships to the promotion of the filter. —e
This in turn may have stemmed more from an inept choice of procedure than

from any @atent to deviate from the highest standards of scholarly objectivity
that society has the right to expect from a great university. In meeting what -S
seemed like reasonable requirements imposed by the needs to protect the patent a
situation, the existing procedure also inadvertently deprived the faculty from
participating in a conclusion with which they are nevertheless associated by

virtue of the Columbia label.

I was for many yearson the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, which derived
great benefits from arrangements for the exploitation of scientific and tech-
nical discoveries not fundamentally different from those at issue here. However,
the University and its president were never in the position of having to parti-
cipate directly in the promotion of any of these products. Instead, the Wisconsin
Alumni Research Foundation was established as an autonomous corporate non-profit
body. The charter of WRRF stipulated that the proceeds were to be used for
constructive purposes of the University or for further capitalization of WRRF
sponsored research and development. WRAF made many individual arrangements with
inventors and scientists both inside and outside the University that would have
been quite comparable to the mutually advantageous proposals indicated by
Sftrickmann. WRRF was reppensible for the development and exploitation of such
important products as irradiated ergosterol for vitamin-D supplementation of milk,
and warfarin,which is such an fmportant rodenticide. At the time of their
amnouncement these products were perhaps lesa controversial than the Strickmann
filter, but in any case the University was well able to participate in the
development of these products and to reaph some of the financial benefits from
this without being in the position of directly promoting them. Any pronounce-
ments with respect to the efficacy of these agents came either from WARF or from
Dr. Graysen Kirk August 25, 1967
Page 2

individual professors at the University, without any imputation of corporate

approval. In fact, a very happy de facto arrangement evolved over the years

which engendered a very satisfactory level of mutual confidence between WARP

and the University faeulty. WARF also provided a very convenient vehicle for
voluntary transfer of proprietary interests by professors and others who had

made inventions that they were in no position to exploit.

It seems to me that it is by no means too late to consider the establishment
of such a corporation for Columbia, and that doing so might provide for a
graceful resolution of your present dilemma.

I am sure that you must have many acquaintances at Wisconsin, perhaps éncluding
President Harrington, who could give you useful detailed information about
WARF’s operations.

In distinction to my previous letter, this one need not be regarded as personally
confidential.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Brofessor of Genetics