November 23, 1957
Dear Jin:

Esther end I are just back fron a 4-months trip, primarily to Australta,
but returning the long way round.

T found weiting here your letter of April 3 (sic) which had been addressed
c/o Curt Stern at Berkeley, and must have found its way back here last month
gone time, I don't have my old correspondence at hand just now, and ve may
have covered the seme ground since then, but I really was deeply moved at
what you hed to say about Harvard. Perhaps you've quite forgotten that letter
by now -- its main polnt was "I was disappointed in that it appears that you
may decide to go to Berkeley without first coming here to look us over."

It is going to be very easyh for me possibly to contradict the momentarily
expressed sentiments of sane months ago, but I would not want you to think
thet I had given Harvard or the possibility of moving to such & renarxable
luniversityt of colleagues short surift. I felt I imew Harvard reasonably
well already, and I was rather worn out by recent and prospective travel.
What I later tried to say, and did not very well at it, was that I was then
already involved with Berkeley, not withbr any comitnents, out in such a
situation that would take well over a year frou then to mature, I could not
gee tae point for either Harvard or myself in dangling all that time. When
the Berkeley matter did ripen, I could then look at alternatives then cur~
rent, This ie not aa iwitation to reopen the discussion at the present times
if or when that becanes apt, I'1]1 do more than hint at it to you. But IT an
most ancioug that the recent affair aot lessen te cordiality of our relation
slips nor our isutual regard.

I am sorry that my Hervey lecture aext month will cone at a vine that
would be personelly and academically rather uaprenising for a visit to Cambridge.
T have demanded a raincheck fron Carroll Williams, and hope to use it before
toc long.

I heard recently of Pappenheime:'s coaing to your departnent-~ what ea clever
way for Pap! to unioead his administrative loud! If you care te teli me about
4% I'd be glad to hear your department's currens piaus for genetics, insofar
as they can be a matter of general interest.

T had vather an interesting time with Burnet. Influenza virus, Gespite the
lack of a plaque method (or maybe there ia one from Ledinke & Henle) is still
aa good an animal virus as any for recanbination analysis, I came to the con-
clusion that Burnet's scheme of two linkage groups, within which no crossing~
ever takes place, is at least partly an artefact, fran technical linitations
in the selection of ‘'mxmemr crossover! genotypes. Somsone like yourself ought
to make a new start with ¢lus there's lots to be done, and mich that can be
done with a more precise analytical epproach.

Yours, as ever,

3 oshus Lederberg

easy
Ol, Steere