Dear Josh
In 1944 I spent several months at Columbia University.  There I was asked to give two seminars in the regular colloquium.  I chose two topics, one a report on my work on position affect at the cubilius erectus locus, and the other a review of a book which I had found very exciting.  It was written by the Astronomer Royal and entitled "Life on Other Worlds".  I had not written on this topic myself, but for my ideas from Goddard's lectures in an introductory biology course at Rochester.  There was no attempt to enter the field of exobiology.
I remember a discussion remark of Seliz Hecht, who talked about the possibility of an atomic bomb that would destroy our civilization.  In retrospect, I think Hecht knew about the preparations for atomic warfare, while the rest of us at the seminar did not.
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All these comments are elicited by your recent request.--Evelyn and I are delighted to hear of your two year old daughter!  Greetings to all 3 of you.
Cordially,
Curt
(Evelyn is writing this for me, because my Parkinson's disease makes it difficult to write myself.)
Sept. 4, 1976