Jamary 31, 1957

Dear Avram:

Thank you for your kind note. If only for your interest, I am happy to
note your renewed optimism. I had seen a brief notice of Dean Gutting's
resignation in the N.Y. Times, and got nowhere trying to fathom what it
meant,

It is true that I am entertaining an alternative offer froa Berkeley,
in the Genetics Departaent. No doors are closed: if I can have the tim
without embarrassing the other parties, I hope to keep them open until
about March 1. We will be buay travelling after that, and hope that these
matters can be settled.

it's too bad that the Stanford question should come up when the medical
achool business 4s so fluid. But I am encouraged at what you wrote.

I should tell you about another alternative, here at Wisconsih, which
has not yet oryetallised. We are discussing the establishesnt of a separate
Department of Medical Genetics, with strong ties to this one, of course.

The principal mission of the department would be fundamental 2

(on men, mice ard alorocorganéems) in genetics of allied apdical interest;

on this base we would also have our teaching responsibilities too. I

realise that it would be too much to expect Stanford to underwrite such

@ program (which would mean one or two additional appointments at assistant-
asscoiate professorhip) at this critical stage in the medical school develop-
ment. I have to weigh the possibilities of such or comparable developszs nts
in the future as mxmuhake aguinat the other virtues of Stanford (and of
Berkeley, for that matter),

So we have a trivium ahead, and it's not easy to think about the choloe.

Let a add one point— if we do go to Berkeley, (a priort probability = 1/3)
we will want to make a point of tightening up cordial relationships with
Stanford. The Stanford case speaks for itself. So there is a 2/3 likelihood
that we will be in closer touch.

We will have little more we can say Before actually deciding, and will let
you know. If you oan relay more about developments at your end, I'd be gateful.

Yours,

Joshua Lederberg