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THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
MADISON 6

DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY

BIRGE HALL February 13; 1957

President E. B. Fred
Bascom Hall

Dear President Fred:

It has come to our attention that Professor J. Lederberg
has received a favorable offer from another university and that
there exists the possibility that he may leave Wisconsin. The
members of the Zoology Department would like to take this oppor=
tunity to express their concern over the possible loss of this
outstanding biologist to our campus. His-.scientific accomplishments,
which have made him an internationally recognized leader in his
field, are too well known to be repeated here. What is perhaps
less readily apparent is the value of personal contact by col-
leagues and students with a man of his wide knowledge, his keen
and critical mind and the wealth and originality of his ideas.

He and the many outstanding scholars from all over the world who
have come to work in his laboratory have acted as catalysts,
stimulating the teaching and research in many areas of biology on
the campus. A scholar of his caliber can rarely be replaced and
his loss would be felt not only by the present academic community
but by many future students. Lederberg possesses the rare ability
to meet many of the specialized disciplines of biology on their
own ground and to direct their thinking toward general biological
principles. We would like to urge that every effort be made to
induce Dr. Lederberg to stay at Wisconsin.

Sincerely yours,

Os Maslin

Arthur D. Hasler
Chairman

ADH : MP