December 24, 1955

Dr. Roger S. Mitchell

Webb Butiding

University of Colorado Medical Center
Denver 70, Colorado

Deur Rogar:

Ihave your letter of the 2lat. I was less distressed by the conserva-
tive reaction of the Fecukty Committee than I was encoureged by Dr. Meikle~
Joha's and Dr. Waring's support of the idea. If the medical faculty is
as ccenstrained for financial surppcrt from the state as I have been told, I
am not surprised that they should want te consclidate their present posi-
tior. “efove expanding inte new fields. Meanphilc, other mecics) schools
(c.g. Virginia and Vanderbilt, and I have some reason to here Fisconsin, too)
are oxpanding their programs in medical reretics, sot I am confident that
it will be adopted quite generally thruughout the country during the next
seversi years. There is no grest hurry, and with Lerry on deck you certainly
wii not be defichent in mebiezk: genetic research.

I suppose you will want to know whother we should continua our discussions
a prones my joining your staff cn any new basis. I am inolined tc think
not at the present time: at the moment I am rather pracecupted wath recccupying
the lab in the Genetice building, which 1s being rencdellet nov, andrdn
trying to catalyse a medical genetics program at Wisconsin. You will have
to decide whether you want to proceed in other directions for the Foundation,
or defer other long range commitments until you can foresce the ultimate
outcome of the Genetics proposals. I have every hope of seeing you in St.

tis, irs \ W 1 * 4 se oat.
fortably thep. 27 tne Meddoal“stR6cr"endtges Us °aitt Se Sako Ee RER ERs,
reopsn the discussion.

This decision of the moment haa no bearing on my interested hopes for the
success of your Foundation enterprises, not only in relation to Larry's
promise, and the valued friendships we have made through these discussions,
but also because of the very beneficent impact that your Foundation can have
on the furtherance of medical research. ‘4hatever direction you move in, I
hope you will never be tempted to compromise with anything less than the
best in appointments, and that you will not dilute your potential impact by
scattering in too mny fields, or by duplicating progmms already sufficiently
recognized, I hope this is not a presumptuous remark, but it is not addressed
to your intentions, but to the pressure you may be under to hasten the organi-
zation of your staff. In view of the splendidgendorasment that you and Dr,
Waring have given my proposals, I hardly need be concerned.

With best wishes,

Joshua Lederberg