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THE ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE

NEW YORK 21, NEW YORK March 3, 1959

Prof, Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Dear Joshua:

I have heard that the Department of Medicine at the Stanford Medical School
is considering the appointment of Irving Schwartz for a significant position,
This is one of those rare times when I feel driven beyond my usual conserva-
tism to express spontaneous unsolicited advice. Schwartz is to my notion
one of the outstanding relatively young men in experimental medicine. Per-
haps your faculty or their committee has had adequate chance to learn how
well respected he is among workers in the physiology of electrolyte and
water balance, and active transport. But I think the chances are that they
can hardly realize fully how distinguished his mind, how fundamental his
grasp, and how thorough his approach is. Because he is so gentle, kind,
generous and understanding, he would make an excellent colleague, group
leader and teacher. But perhaps these same traits have somewhat slowed ~

his "discovery" by the people outside his field and at a distance. He &
cannot be called aggressive, but he is intellectually aggressive, inquiring may
and imaginative, and that is what counts. 5
I do not know how this possibility is being considered or by whom exactly, &

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so Il am writing you, and sending an almost identical letter to Arthur
Kornberg, mowing that if elther of you has a chance to express your advice,
it might be helpful to know what someone you know thinks about Schwartz.

I shall also write in a different fashion to Dr. Hadley Kirkman. om

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I have wanted very much to see Irving Schwartz stay here at Rockefeller,

but there were complex considerations that are no reflection upon him

whatsoever making this impractical. I cannot think of anyone whom I

know who would seem suitable competition in his general area.

Hoping your own new affairs are going well and with best regards,
Sincerely yours,

Rollin D. Hotchkiss

RDH: jp

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