April 11, 1967

Mr. Gerald Leach
3 Tanza Road
London, N.W. 3, England

Dear Mr. Leach:

I recall the occasion of our last meeting with some pleasure, and I look forward
to meeting you again. As you suggested, I have checked with Dr. Goodlin, but
find thet he will be unable to see you. My own preference would be to meet with
you on Sunday, May 7. If you will give me a call when you arrive in this country
we can work out the details. (Home phone: Area code 415, 321-276h).

Ag you know, I share your conviction that a calculated biological reconstruction
of human nature is the most important message of the contemporary scene, and I
have been gradually seeking out my own channels of expression in this field.

One of these is a newspaper column for the Washington Post which is just begin-
ning to be syndicated. I have sent a number of the past appearances to you under
separate cover. I want particularly to call your attention to the remarks that
are enclosed, since they tend to obsolete some of my conservatism in the article
“Experimental Genetics and Human Evolution" wht#h respect to the time scale for
algeny. I would also have to remark that after a long lag, work on somatic cell
genetics of the sort being developed by Henry Harris is beginning to accelerate
with some striking research information. We will have a good chance to talk
about this!

I wonder if it would be too much to ask to reopen a request that I made to you
before, that is, to get some of the tapes of the broadcast that you built around
your interviews with me and other American scientists. I would be particularly
grateful to be able to have a copy, not only of my own remarks, but of Oppen-
heimer's discussion. I would be very happy to pay any out-of@pocket costs that
would be involved in copying the tapes and, needless to say, I would not abuse
the BBC's proprietary Enterest in them. However, I do not mean to put you to

any extraordinary difficulty, and please disregard this request if it would mean
that.

Cordially,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

P.8. Before you attribute advocacy to me, which is implied in your letter, I
would want you to read the last paragraph of my article in the Bulletin. I migh
say, however, that I am beginning to reach a more positive position about this
for purposes of answering some extremely importand and otherwise inaccessible
questions about the nature of genius. So perhaps we should think of going some
experiments along heese lines, just as we sometimes undertake quite radical

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Mr. Gerald Leach April 11, 1967
Page 2

say off the record, however, that I am beginning to reach a more positive
position about this for purposes of answering some extremely important and
otherwise inaccessible questions about the nature of genius. So perhaps we
should think of doing some experiments along these lines, just as we sometimes

undertake quite radical educational experiments.

J.L.