October 5, 1962

Professor Francis 0. Schmitt
Department of Blology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge 39, Massachusetts

Dear Professor Schmitt:

| especially appreciate the courtesy of your writing me at length.
(1 am becoming rather allergic to long distance phone calls, albelt
they are sometimes unavoidable.) in brief, |

1. applaud the vigor of your interest In pushing neuroblology to
a new plane and would like to remain well informed of your
activity. However, | would not generally encourage such diver-
slons of the university's functlons. Why not use the same

effort to make the university a better place for such scholarly
work?

2. regret that | am unable to attend your next session in November.
3. will reflect on the possibility of a formal affillation as an
associate <= but doubt what this can add to the picture, as
my opportunities for personal visits would be quite Infrequent.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JL: edf

P.S. Thank you for the book you sent some time ago. | prevately
belleve the connection between memory and sequential nucleic
information Is less direct than most of the participants thank,

but some experimental decision on questions Ifke this should be coming a

along during the near future.