ry Bley 1547
Sens in long hand

on ws YE og,
ely we dag Noctua

inlo Uaiversity
New Haven, Connecttout

Dear Dr, Ta tune

Ledorborg's work 4s irprossive and ve are interested in furthor informa
tion aut his background, personality and interosts. Is he prepared to con=
sider the ind of opportunity we have to offer and would he adaot hinself well
to the jod? -

Our first consideration 1s to got on ablo young research mn interested in
fundanontal gonoetical problems. I 4s desirod that he worl vith nicroorsoniens,
usine the tools of biochsnistry and biophysics. This will bo a now field of
effort in gonotica nt Wisconsin, oo that thor. is an opportunity for a man with
inogination and initintive to build a rescarch progran in accordance with his
om idean.e Prelininary plens have been made for a siutably equipred laboratory
and tha Adninistration 1s prepared to plece orders Juy il. Currout information
is that 1¢ will require about a yonr to @éot delivory of the necessary furniture
end nnparatus, Until the new laboratory 1s ready any conetical work with nicro=
organisms could be done only with considerable inconvenience.

A second considoration which is imortant at Wisconsin is that the nan be
able to vork with other dosartnonts interested in allica problens. ‘There ara
novoral such departments hore, es you know, incluling Plant Patholocy, Arricule
tural and Nodlical Bactoriolory,, Slochcnistry and Votorlnary Science. Ono may
visurlize tho now man as building up a coro prozron of research of his ow
choosing in Genotics. Sooncr or lator it is inovitablo, hovever, that he will
bo called unon also to particinate in prograis centered outside thig departnont.
fone of these cooperative relationcshins ney fit in woll with tho core prosran:
others probably will not. Willingness of the goneticias to do a fair anount of
toam work outside his immediate Group end divorging from his contral intorasta,
thoreforo, is required. ,

-You ore faniliar with the fact that tho Dopartmont of Gonotics at Wisconsin
is a part of tho College of Arriculture.. As such it is engaged in rmch work roe
lating nore or less directly to tho farming industry. Tho abovo montionsd do~-
portroents having on interest in this eppointnont are in the sano position. Fore
tunately, our Colloso Administration is’ thorowshly sympathetic ‘with basic rescarch
and has a fine record in suport for 1t. But it nus, 2% all times soe to 1t that
& otrons position is maintained in that part of its progam vhich serves the far
mor nore diroctly. The wolforo of the tuo lines of work, in a sonse, aro rolnted,.
What I mecn to soy is that tho opportunity for research in plont Genetics, for
oximle, 4s enhanced in the long run if tho Lerming public fools that it 4s being
well sorved at the sane time by tho plant brecdor and tho crop technolorist. And
#9 with othor fields in the Collore. One whose primary interest is in rescarch
in nono praass of biolorsy underlying arriculture should heve an undorstanding of
the work of his nore farn=ninded collesrues ond be willing to ald thom as cir=
cunstances dictate. Tho desired relationship is not dissimilar to that botyveon
the regearchor and the clinician in a medical school. ‘there are several first-rate
pre Sealy BY, 1ON7 HM. iL. Tatua

reeeoreh tien on our Collece ateff who have antebliched weary sotinfectory vorkce
ine rstatinnshipa in this reencet. tia our hope thet ve enn pot another one
for tha resttilon in question.

Fir’ ois Go rointed ont thet there are nimirous inter~collero coororntive
tetertstece tn reser reh at VWireonsin. Bloeheiatry, for examole, hea somo with
the Coser Loborntery ond othor diviriona of the Hrdieanl School. Tho Graduate
Peak ante Ciseesly aarans Collere linen onl WARP. funds cre placed when
rencsrch in boing dono repardlosa of Administrative bound-ries,

Shove ray be a endl sooner or Léter for a formyl course in the cenetics of
nmieroaurenions. % would be expected thnb tho now mom would hendle this. Tor
the presen, hovever, tecchine rorrponstibilities wuld probably bo linited to the
two ndzvanoed genetics coursean under Dr, Irvin's direction, which are given in ale
terarge yeovge rd contributed to by scvcval ef us. Zhia statonout ia subject to
the quwlifiertion mentioacd in my lotter of Moz 253 namoly, thet as a result of
Profoncor Ouen's vecent decision to go to Col Tooh wo ore seeking a mon alco to
hendle the clenentary gonotics teaching. Conceivably the latter assi-macent nicht
bo lin’cd with the position in microbvlology if we found a man interested in such
a condination.

Sho initicl ayointucat would probably de as assistant professor, About a
year aro when the natter was first discussed with Dean Boldwin a yearly salary of
$3500 was surzosted., I camot csy withous further consultation whether in view
of tho increnne in cost of living which has occurred since there vould be an up=
werd aijustrens nowe ‘She legiclative avmrcpriation for the coming diennium has
nat yet beon mado but the current outlook is Good.”

Wo would like to have your fren's julgvont concerning Lederborg's probebdie
antoross in the sort of opportunity I have outlined and his ability to £1 into
tho Wisconsin pattern. His contacts in enplied solence to date I essune hove
beoa with medicine. Could ho make hinsolf at hone in a colleso of acriculture?
Whats vould bo his reaction 17 0. I. Allon in Agricultural Bactoriolozy, for or~
aiple, sought hig help in studios on tho horit-ble variation in tho Rhizobia and
vhulr resnective hosta along the linos of the recent Rothomstoed worl, oz 4f Snell
varias on nutrition of the bactoria in Biochonistry desired his cocperation?

Ia ho a good team ran? Would he be pationt onoush to build a genotics progran
with uleroerg-uisne starting from seratch? Is ho the kind of mm who could overe
eong as an Individusl tho projulice aratns$ his raco, vinich he dsubtlens would
cacowitor occasionally here as in ueny othor wniversitica? I velfevo that his
dnacdizte collengucs id gonoties hore would do thoir full shore in Yacilitatins
his offorte in these direotions. is Lederberg married? I ask this because the
housing eituntion here is no better than in mos$ othor places.

Gincerely yours,

R. A. Brinks
Professor ef Genetics