HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

HARVARD SURGICAL UNIT BOSTON CITY HOSPITAL
FIFTH SURGICAL SERVICE 818 HARRISON AVENUE
SEARS SURGICAL LABORATORY BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02118

Jacob Fine, M.D,

 

May 4, 1970

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
Standord Medical School
300 Pasteur Drive
Palo Alto, California
Dear Dr. Lederberg:

I'm sorry I can’t manage to get to Israel in early May for the
Weizmann Board Meeting. The status of the scientific institute for Iran
is as follows:

The Middle East Committee of the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences of which I am chairman, has proposed to the Shah of Iran the
creation of an international scientific institute to deal with problems
of international importance, which are at the same time of special interest
to Iran. The Academy would offer its services to help in structuring the
Institute and finding the required personnel not available in Iran. It
proposes arid ecology as the first major undertaking of such an institute,
A primary condition for the successful operation of such an institute shall
be that it shall be completely independent in all respects of any and all
governmental agents, domestic or foreign, and that its administrator and

staff shall be chosen purely on the basis of scientific merit. While Iran

would be expected to provide a substantial fraction of the financial support,
Dr. Joshua Lederberg -2- May 4, 1970

at least half would be supplied from other sources such as the Ford Foundation,
oil interests, and other potential sources, A copy of the letter to the

Prime Minister was also sent to a number of important people in Iran, Those
whom I interviewed last November favored the proposal without exception, We
are awaiting a response from the Shah, which we think ought to be favorable

in view of the potential importance of such an institute not only for Iran

but for the Middle East as a whole.

Sincerely yours,
fi oe BM

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( Jacob Fine, M.D.

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