THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY

pro bono humani generis .
1230 YORK AVENUE - NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10021-6399

Joshua Lederberg
UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR /
Uv

April 6, 1992
Mr. Charles Revson

Beauty Checkers Incorporated

135 East 55th Street

New York, New York 10022

Dear Charles:
(This may caution you about talking $$ needs to an impecunious professor).

You may be surprised to get this kind of letter from me: it is to ask you for a personal
contribution of $5000 to The Rockefeller University to support my own laboratory. I am
enclosing some background for explanation! One of my chief burdens is the expectation that
I can’t possibly have financial problems.

You will understand that I do not have a direct wire to the Revson Foundation fellowship
fund at RU -- to the contrary I have to lean over backwards. As with other professors, I get
my own salary, and my office operation, from the university’s endowment funds, and have to
look to philanthropy and government to support my laboratory.

For the 5 year period 1990-1995, my cumulative needs all told (to run a modest size lab) will
run to $1,500,000. I have assured support now that covers that to about $1 million -- a large
fraction of that from the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation. So I’ve been left with a
gap of about $ 100,000 per year. Quite a few people are chipping in, with checks ranging
from $1000 to $50,000 per bite. Just to give you some perspective of scale.

I don’t want it to be awkward for you to say "no" -- I can imagine any number of reasons
why you may not be ready or able to respond, and they would require no explanation. But
please do give me a word, one way or another. In addition, some of my friends have been as
helpful or more by steering me to other prospects as by their own contributions.

If you do decide yes, all that’s needed is a check to The Rockefeller University with a note
therein or separately that this is a contribution for the “Lederberg Laboratory Fund", and mail
to me. We’ll gladly accept a few shares of stock (even on this scale) as alternative.
Whatever you can do would be much appreciated. Please let me know if there is any further
information you’d like, or if you’d care to visit for a closer look.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg