HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Facu.ty oF ARTs AND SCIENCES

OrrFice oF THE DEAN 5 Unrversrry Hatr

Cameripck 38, MassacHusETTs
March 15, 1957

Professor Joshua Lederberg
c/o Professor G. Pontecorvo
Department of Genetics
University of Glasgow
Glasgow, Scotland

Dear Professor Lederberg:

I write in the hope of catching you during your
European tour to invite you most warmly to come to Cambridge
right after your return to New York, to let us see if we
can persuade you to join the Harvard Faculty as Professor
of Biology, as soon as you feel free to come.

I can state my own interest in this matter simply,
by saying that since I first heard of your work from friends
who are competent to judge, several years ago, I have hoped
that I should have a chance to write a letter like this one.
The opinion which I have held has now been enthusiastically
confirmed by an eminent ad hoc committee and by a strong
vote of the Department of Biology here. Thus it is now
possible for me to say on behalf of the President that he
and I would very much enjoy an opportunity to present yar
name to our Governing Boards for appointment. It is true
thet this last process has a somewhat stately character,
but I think you can be quite safe in regarding this letter
as a firm and definite invitation to come to Harvard, as
well as a strong expression of my belief that we can pro-
vide for your future here in a fashion which will make you
happy in your work as a scientist. I do not at all mean
to say that we are blind to the great qualities of other
institutions which appear to be gathered on your doorstep;
I mean only to say that we want you very much at Harvard
and hope and believe that you would like it here,

T understand that you are planning to get back to New
York about the first of April. While our Spring Recess comes
in that week, I expect to be right here throughout the early
part of April, and I think that we shall also have on hand
a respectable number of the veople in Biology and Bio-
chemistry with whom you might want to talk. The President
will also be here most of the time. So I do very much
hope that you will feel able to come and talk with us
before you leave the East, on your return. Naturally we
should like to pay the expenses of your visit.

Sincerely yours,

Inefla, Comal

McGeorge Bundy

Copy to Edinburgh:

c/o Professor C.H. Waddington
Department of Animal Genetics
University of Hdinburgh