January 29, 1957

Dr. J. A. Jenkins
Depertment of Genstics
University of California
Berkeley 4, California

Dear Jim:

fuenk you for your last of ths 24th.’ am pleased to see how you are
guicing mtiers to a conclusion. The propossl now pending as to Esther's
status is by far the best apprcsch, by being su direct, if it will go.

that you have already told me about departmental facilities in Giannini
speaks for some ghanges in the plans. But as I wrote, these should furnish
4 reasonable basis for cost estimates. Since then, I have had a look at
the construction in the new wing of the Blochemistry Building here, which
is vépresentative of tae best of new construction here. I waa impressed
by the effective uss that was ade of auch features as a; Unistrut framing,
for flexinility in wall and bench arrangements, and) ceramic tile [my
earlaer objection to thie was hased on Imagined problems of wall-mountings].
Now of course I don't know how far U/C wants to go in rehabilitation of an
older building, but J hope you will atblecst ame ° bid for consideration
of the Lest current prec tice.

April would be the strategic time to disouss the preliminary actual
pluns. In addition to the utility deteils T askec about earlier, it would
be heipfui if I coula kno. (es best you co) the Larger plans for the bui@@ing,
vis. who ay neighbors would be in the interim, and more exactly the disposition
of Geastics after the move, Has the question of space been attacked from the
most fundamental standpoint? (You will shudder to read this after the legwork
you 2ust nave done to secure 2223! But I would just ask if this does represent
the only praationl arrangeme::t you can envisage. There would bs both economies
and conveniencag if ve werecall on the same Qlaor, and I have to admit that
street-level pepresents a second-best for microbiological work on account of
dust etc, I want and have to rely on your judgment ebout this-- perhaps it is
already imp1lvéit. }

This raises a yuestion of dates, We are flying back from London March 31/
April 1, and want a day or two in the New York area. It would be a physical
posaibilaty for me to fly direct from N.Y. to San Frencisco, but I suspect
ay sits wiald etlll be floating sonewhere near Chicego. She-best—fhureday
date would be, I think, April 12, but I assume you would have mentioned
this if it were opm. If that is right, April 16-17 (fpr the scheduled
talks] would be next best. This leaves only about 6 weeks before my next
fly-tarough, but if your B'gs and G&ds department is reasonably efficient,
there should have been enough work on the plans to mike a semi-final dis-
cussion profitable at that time, 30 perhaps we should confirm those dates(1é-17).
There is one other matter, which has no immediate application, but
which I would like to take this chance to ‘write into the record’. This
is simply that I have an interest in medical genetics, (as a broad dis-
cipline which relates not only to human gem tics, but to experimental
mammalian and microbial studies which bear on medicine). This perhaps

stems from my early training in medical school.

Genetics within

My place in/the College of Agriculture here has always been directed
to fundamental research and teaching therein, and I am relying on the
assumption that this would be no less true at California. There has, at
the same time, been no discouragement of my potential interesta in mdi-
cine, though these have not until recently been related to any working
programs. During the past twelve months, however, I have been discussing
various possibilities in more and more detail with various of my colleagues,
especially Dean Bowers of the Medical School.&t the present time, a faculty
committee is about to discuss a concrete proposal for the creation of a
separate, small Department of Medical Genetics. My leadership of this pro-
gram would be compatible with my continued tehure in this Department (Genetica)
as well. We have a remarkable opportunity at Wisconsin because of the
existing strength of the Genetics Department, the proximity and interest
of the medical school, ami the traditional, cordial relationships between
the respective colleges, and especially the renewed emphasis on fundamental
research in medical sciences which has accompanied Dean Bowers! appointment.
Of course, I cannot predict the final outcome of these discussions. I am
trying to keep separate the important principle of such a basic medical~

aclence department from the juestion of my personal availability, but the
two issues do tend to merge.

Now, I should emphasize that my primary concern is for the research pro-
gram in pure genetics, which you know me for. This program is a broader
interest, one that I hope succeeds in one form or another, and with or without
os. It represents just one of a number of such ‘organizational' enterprises
that I might plump for. (In fact, I ama little concerned that it might/have,
entangledj}me x prematurely and a little too deeply in administrative diversions. )
My first and principal concern at Berkeley too would be that research, ani
I recognize that many local features make just such a program in medical
genetics an unlikely development for the time being. If, however, the maturation
of long term plans should lead to a change in outlook, I hope my interest
in this field will be a matter of record. There are, of course, many groups
at Berkeley who have similar or related interests, ami effective cooperation
with them ought to be a more effective testimonial than this paper.

Yours singerely,

Josma Lederberg
Professor of Genetics