December 29, 1958

Dr. Wallace R. B8rode
Science Adviser

Department of State
Washington 25, 0. C.

Dear Or. Brode:

A recent Issue of Sclence carried the names of a number of your
appointments of Science Officers to be attached to various embassies
overseas. It also indicated that appointments were soon to be made
of Deputy Science Officers whose terms would overlap those of the
principal appointments.

{| do not know the procedure by which you are being advised for
these appointments, and hope this ignorance may excuse any possible
impropriety on my part in forwarding a nomination. 1 would ask the
opportunity to bring to your attention the name of Professor Francis
J. Ryan of Columbia University for the post in Tokyo. Ryan's academic
connection for some years has been as Professor of Zoology, but his
research interests in fact have been in the fields of microbiology and
genetics -- my own Introduction to serfous scientific research came
about, in fact, in his laboratory about 13 years ago.

Professor Ryan's professional standing is perhaps best warranted
by his several years of service with the Genetig¢s and Morphology Study
Section of the National Institutes of Health, and by his present member~
ship on the Genetics Training Grants Review Committee of the NIH. He
was a Fulbright visiting professor at the University of Tokyo, Institute
of Applied Microbiology, and this experience gave him the profound sympa-
thy for Japanese culture, and contacts with innumerable Japanese scientists,
that are the chief basis for my suggesting him. As far as |! can judge,
Ryan's standing as a scientist compares very favorably indeed with the
appointees already announced, and It would leave a remarkable opportunity
unexploited If his interest and enthusiasm were not tepped by the nation
for this important position.

Yours sincerely,
Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics
JL /ew
cc-Or,. G. W. Beadle

New address after January 20, 1959.