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THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY

1230 YORK AVENUE NEW YORK. NY 10021

February 14, 1979

 

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

PRESIDENT

Dr. An Wang

President

Wang Laboratories, Inc.

836 North Street

Tewksbury, Massachusetts 01876

Dear Dr. Wang:

Guessing, quite correctly, that your name might
be well known to me the secretary's office referred
your letter of February 6th to me for reply.

I do not know the level of detail that you would
wish in our response, so I have taken a middle course
in sending you the enclosed material that does have
considerable historical information. The authoritative
"A History of the Rockefeller Institute 1901-1953" by
George W. Corner was published in 1964 and gives con-
siderable detail about the founding of the Institute.
One of our venerable professors, Rene J. Dubos, recently
wrote "The Professor, the Institute, and DNA" which also
gives considerable background materiad on the early days
of the Institute as well as a scientific biography of
Oswald T. Avery. I might say that both of these works
were quite helpful to me in my own considerations about
coming here (which I did very recently). As both of
these books were published by the Rockefeller University
Press it would be quite convenient for me to arrange to
send you copies with our compliments if you are so dis-
posed. .

As to current activities we face a similar problem
of choice of level of detail. TI decided to send you our
current academic catalogue which gives an account of our
rather selective educational program. But I would com-
mend your attention especially to the overview of re-
search activities that begins at page 26. We can, if

av. $f 129
Dr. An Wang
February 14, 1979

-2-

you like, also readily provide the annual scientific
report which goes into substantially more detail ana
bibliography.

Finally, let me offer you what I hope you may see
as an opportunity rather than an obligation, and that
is to visit the University and myself personally at
your convenience. One of my specific objectives is to
enhance the vitality of information, technology and
sciences in the service of biomedical research. I am
enclosing a reprint that may tell you something of my
outlook and experience at Stanford University in these
dimensions.

We are most happy to respond to your interests and
I hope you will avail yourself of the opportunity to
inform yourself more deeply, as this institution has
few avenues other than these kinds of contact for a
broader public understanding of our mission.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg

Encls.