September 11, 1967

Dr. Helen Spurway

Genetics and Biometry Laboratory
Government of Orissa

Bhybaneswar ~ 3

Orissa, India

Dear Helen:

I have regretted for a long time that Professor Haldane's essays have
been out of print and would like to know your reaction about partially
rectifying the situation. I prepose to select a collection of his
essays and arrange them for re-publication by the Indiana University
Press. This would depend upon obtaining the necessary rights, of course,
and I assume that you would have some part in their disposition. This
is, however, not yet a formal request but simply an inquiry as to how
you feel about such a project. If there is anyone else contemplating
such a re~publication, particularly if it were to be on a larger scale
of some of his entire volumes, I would happily withdraw.

My intention with respect to any royalties, to the extent that I have any
control over them, would be to have them directed in their entirety to you.

Just while composing this letter it occurs to me that you might even have
some plans of your own along these lines to which I would not only defer
but in fact I would encourage you to consider it. If I could be of any
assistante for such an enterprise please let me know.

In any case I think the important thing is to make available to a younger
generation some of the liveliest and most intelligent prose on scientific
subjects that has ever been written,

I have had little news of you in the last couple of years but want to offer
you just my very best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg

Professor of Genetics
JL:bm
Dr. Helen Spurway
page two
September 11, 1967

P.S. I had just recently been thinking of you in a completely different
connection, namely your search for examples of parthogenesis. Have you
written anything on this subject besides the article that appeared in

the New Statesman and Nation for November 19, 1955.

Imitation is supposed to be the best form of flattery and if you did not
already know my feelings about Haldane you might draw the proper infer-
ences from one of my present activities - namely to write a newspaper
column weekly on "Science and Man" for the Washington Post. This has

been syndicated on a very spotty basis but it does appear in the Northern
Australia Age. That is quite a long way from Orissa: I am enclosing a
couple of examples for your interest and with the premonition that I might
soon comment 6n parthogenesis in turkeys if not in man.

enc,