Pebruary 7, 1956

Dr. A. G. Loewy
Biology Department
Haverford College
Haverford, Pa,

Dear Dr. Loewy:

Thank you for your letter of the 3d. Actually,(Skaar/s name leapt to
mind long before I read your P.S., and I would hava Iittledhesitation in
recommdiing him to you. Actually, I gather he is not too badly settled
in his present situation with Dr. Demerec at Cold Spring Harbor, but I
know he would thrive in a more academic atmosphere, with a judicious
sharing of teaching and research interests.

Although I know Dr. Skaar only as a research associate, I would judge
him to have the makings of an exceptionallf fine teacher. This conclusion
is based partly on his broad biological training (which includes the immuno~
genetics of paramecium and of bacteria, and unusual skill and dedication
as a "birdwatgher"), and his articulateness and vigor in explanation. I
also know that he would like to teach. As a researcher, I found him to be
an imaginative thinker ani a critical colleague. He had a tendencg to start
too many problems at once, and then work erratically on them, but he has
eventually been cleaning up the many loose ends that this leads to. He is
steadily improving his competence, and while I would still hesitate to en-
trust graduate students to his care, he is unquestionably quite able to
condict his own research at a high level of competence. I feel that once
he does get settled in a single lige of work that bestdsuits his intesests,
he will make a preeminent research man,too. Until now, I think he has suf-
fered by the lack of security in moving from one place to another before he
could organize a program of his own design. However, he has recently done
a very interesting problem in collaboration with Alan Garen, on the isotopic
tracing of gametic DNA in the course of fertilization in F. coli. He is also
Just now completing an accumulation of older works for publication. If you
are acquainted with him at all, you know that he and his wife are both the
most personable, stimulating people and they should be a valuable addition
to your college community.

While Dr. Skaar is probably your best bet, if he is not avaliable to you
I would attract your attention to Dr. S.G.Bradley. It will save me some time
if I refer you to a copy of his vita enclosed, which I had asked him to draw
up for these and oti-er pur oses.Braiiey is not’as flashy a thinker as Skaar,
but makes up for this in the persistant, methodical execution of his wor} and
thought. He is also rather younger, and less sophisticated, but is growing
more rapidly. He would also be a dedicated teacher, and has a fairly broad
background in microbiology. Professor Sussman can expand these details if
you like, After Skaar, Bradley would bg my next choice among the people I know.
He has done a very creditable research job, and can be counted on for utter
reallability and sonscientious performance in everything he does. Everyone here
is very fond of him.

Yours sincerely

Joshua Lederberg