2101 CONSTITUTION AVENUE CABLE ADDRESS: NARECO
WASHINGTON 25, D. C. WASHINGTON, D. Cc.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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SPACE SCIENCE BOARD! S Jf

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Jensary 4, 1962

br. Calin 5. Pittendrigh
Department of Biolosy
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Dear Pitt:

i have read your thoughtful letter of vecember 31, 1961 with
great interest. It is certaialy timely for an authoritative Board
statement on the biological sciences to be daveloped for the use
of the newly organized NASA Office of Space Sciences -- end I agras
completely with the approach outiined in your letter.

I om appointing you Chairman of en ad hoe committee on Life
Selencea to develop a definitive position ia this area far consid-
eration by the full Board. By capy of thia letter, I am also
@ppotnting Mesere. Hartline, Lambertsen and Lederberg as members of
the Life Scleaces Committee. The terms of reference for this com-
mittee are well set forth in your letter -- 1 have taken the liberty
of asking the Secretariat to include s copy of this commaicatioa
with the letters to your committee mambers. Some related coments
from Hartline and Urey have been received and are also included.

i hope that you can convene this group within the next two or
threa weeks: so that the Board's positioa can be available to the
WASA ag soon a0 possible.

Sincerely yours,

L. ¥. Berkner
Chairmen
enc,

ec: br. Hartline
Br, Lambertsen
Dr, Lederberg