UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA

PHILADELPHIA 4

The College
Division of Biology

March 25, 1960

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Genetics Department
School of Medicine
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California

Dear Josh:

I believe that reform within the biological area of the National
Academy is necessary. When I was chairman of the botanical section I tried
to persuade the Council of the Academy to consider some new structure for the
biologists, without success. George Beadle has in the past written to me on
the same subject.

I do not believe that the problem turns entirely on genetics but
that it includes other experimental biology. For example, it has. been
difficult to get the section on bacteriology and pathology to consider such
outstanding work as Luria‘s or Hershey’s, and I am sure that there are other
cases of equal calibre. As you know, Hershey was elected on the nomination
of the botanists and Luria probably will be elected this spring.

Though I have voted in favor of a genetics section, I am not certain
that the formation of this section will solve the problem, There is one other
danger, and that is that the new section in genetics will remove many of the
most able men from the sections on botany and zoology and that these sections
will lose much of their verve.

I do want you to know, however, that if the only solution to the
problem is to form a new section on genetics I will support the move, and I
support it now to force the Council to reconsider the problem.
With my best regards,
LY a
David R. Goddard

DRG/rwp

Enclosure