July 14, 1952

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

I received the reprints you sent some time ago, and Phyllis said:
that you must have heard the remark I made when I first read the pape:
in the Journ. of Bact. (I am a member of the society ase of this year).
At the time I told Phyll of the procedure which was outlined in the
paper and said that you should have thought of it at the time that I
was checking fermentation characteristics of mutants. She calmly
put me in my place by saying that inasmuch as I was the one that was
doing the work that I should have thought of it. Which substantiates the
old saying that you can't win an arguement with a woman. Anyway, I'm glad
that ou and Mrs. Lederberg published aaid paper. At the present time I
have some 1500 cultures ( and will have moreby September) which I have
isojated in connection with a study I am doing at the present time.
These must be grouped and identified. If I can successfully apply the
method of replica plating to the study, and I see little reason why I
can't, I will save myself many hours of work. So I thank you both.

How am 1? Fine. And so is Phyllis. And Janet, an addition to our
family as of March 7 of this year. She is of course the prettiest, best
behaved, most intelligent, and best baby in the world, although in
saying so I will admit that I am prejudiced. However, Phyll agrees with me.

Ag you probably gathered from my address, we live alittle ways out of”
town. Ve have a nice white house, a big garden, a gray tomcat, and
two hives of bees. Jack pine surrounds us on the north and west and
alfalfa on the east and south. I hunt rabbitea in the jack pine and the bees
gather nectar from the alfalfa. I gather honey from the bees. A very
satisfactory arrangement. I was more or less forced into the beekeeping
trade. The fellows I work with suggested (at the time that I Pirst
moved up here) that I have a herd of cattle or a flock of chickens or
a pheasant farm and many other such hobbies for one living in the
country. Finally one suggested bees. I think I agreed out of pure
desperation. Now I'd hate to give it up. When you get stung five
or six times in the process of checking the hives (a weekly project)
you are tempted to invest in a DDT bomb. But when you see the
frames and foundation grow into combs and then the empty combs become
combs of honey you just smile inside and think about getting another
hive. (I had one last year, have two this year). It's sort of like a
venereal infection - gains on you insidiously until you can't do
anything about it. Enough of bees.

As to my work, could be worse, could be better. It ien't what I nad
in mind at the time that I was gleaning facts from Jordan aniBurroughs.
On the other hand I know of those in my class who have jobs that, although
satisfactory to them, would certainly make me unhappy. Nevertheless, I'm
still looking around. My latest line of vision came to rest with the
employment bureau of the society. I was more than proud to state that I
had once worked in the laboratory of one Dr. J. Lederberg. And again
you were placed on the list of xmmamuamx references. I certainly hope
that you don't mind my referring them to you, and knowing you as I do,
I don't think that you do.
You look much the same as you did two years ago. which implies that
I saw your picture in the Milwaukee Journal last Sunday. Hope you enjoyed
the ride.

I noticed in one of the Newsletters that I received that Norton's
address is still Dept. of Genetics, U of W. Say hello to him for me and
tell him to say hello to Marylin. Or Marilyn. I never did leagn which way
it was spelled. If my memory serves me correctly they should be parents
of about a year now. Better than a year.

I have never regretied the hours I spent in your laboratory, “octor.
Nhat I learned there and the friends that I made were as much a part of my
education as the hours spent in lectures and classes. There are some things
that I think of frequently and smile - like the first day I walked into the
basement laboratory. You weren't there and Mrs. Lederberg almost turned
me away until I said, "I thought all bacteria reproduce asexually," I learned
better soon. And the day I left the lactose out of three liters of EMB agar.
And the talk I received from Dr. Irwin the day I tried walking out aah
of his laboratory with a jug of distilled water without asking. Then
there are bits of kmowledge I use every dsy ~ sometimes I realize I learned
them in your laboratory, others I'm afraid you never get credit for.

So thanks for everything, and let me here from you when you find
time to write. And say hello to Mre, Lederberg for me.

Sincerely,