Columbia Gnibersity
inthe Citp of WewmPoark

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY
LAMONT GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
PALISADES

MAIL ADDRESS- TELEPHONE ELMWooD 9-2900

LAMONT GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
TORREY CLIFF
PALISADES, NEW YORK

August 13, 1959

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Medical Genetics
University of Wisconsin
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Dear Josh:

It was very pleasant to become acquainted with you at our recent meeting
in Los Angeles. I had heard of you through mutual friends at Columbia for
a number of years, and, of course, to a greater extent recently.

I believe that you are located temporarily at Stamford, but have been unable
to turn up an address for you there, so I am sending this on to Madison in
the hone that if necessary it will be forwarded.

I am enclosing a copy of a research proposal which Perry Hudson and I are
submitting to the National Science Foundation, entitled "Microbiology of
Polar Seas and Sediments." You expressed interest in this proposed inves-
tigation at the time that we discussed it briefly in Los Angeles, and

gave me the imoression that you considered the problem to be one of con
siderable importance. This proposal indicates, in much more detail than I
had time to give you, our plan of work and gives some indication of the
results we have been able to obtain already on a more or less bootleg basis.

We have found that the southern oceans offer a wonderful field for geophys-
ical and geological investigations and I have committed VEMA to spend a
large percentage of her time there during the next two or three years.
Microbiological work of the type proposed here can be added to her program
without noticeable interference to the other work. I am very enthusiastic
about the microbiological work, but can judge it only at second hand. I
would be greatly indebted to you if you would give me an opinion about the
-importance of the proposed program and about the capabilities of the team
for carrying it through, as best you can judge from personal knowledge of
some of the people or from the documentation which is supplied.

We have had an indication from the interested persons in the National
Science Foundation that this general type of work would fit well into their
Antarctic program.
It would be the greatest favor to me if you could give me an opinion about
this proposal, and I assure you that I will use it only for my personal
guidance unless you indicate that you would be willing for me to show it
if necessary to other officials in Columbia University and to the National
Science Foundation.

I look forward to seeing you again at the next meeting of our Committee.
Best regards,
Sincerely yours,

Maurice Ewing

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