196),

STANFORD UNIVERSITY —

MEDICAL CENTER

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA A x
yp Sat
—

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS
School of Medicine

Dr. J. E. Wallace Sterling
President

Stanford University
Stanford, California

Dear Wally:

| trust you had a pleasant trip, If only to contemplate the quiet life to
which you will now be returning.

| have not been here very long and perhaps am not enough a veteran to
justify the following remarks; on the other hand, you will not then accuse
me of an unworldly nostalgia for times too long past.

| am deeply disturbed and disappointed at the progressive erosion of
one of Stanford's unique assets: the simplicity of its administration and the
tempering of its bureaucracy to academic needs. Hardly a day passes now that
does not bring some new sign of the ascendency of bureaucratic thinking and
control, and the promulgation of rules and regulations that are going to make
office managers and salesmen of your executives and professors. The general
planning for the Medical School, the choice of contractors, the traffic
arrangements, even such nonsense as the enciosed personnel questionnaires
are recurrent symptoms; some aspects of the faculty housing administration
are equally typical of this dangerous disease. And 1 can say the present
equilibrium is only the result of a constant battle which has required
considerable time for the defeat or evasion of harassments.

Let me hasten to add that the Medical School administration itself has
had a commendable record, most of its lapses being in emulation of or in
response to directives of the University administration. | should also add
that it is not so easy to document the situation with specific grievances as
it is to sense a noticeable change of spirit even during the brief period of
my residence here. 1 do know that many of our colleagues share this gloomy
view.

rae Mery?

The present situation Is far from desperate but the seeds of despair are
here and it is possible to visualize the transformation of Stanford into another
Berkeley (could I use stronger language?). If the situation can still be
controlled at all, only you can exercise the leadership needed to maintain the
Dr. Sterling, cont. 2.

dignity, autonomy and energy of your faculty. You should know that one question
is asked of every intended step: whose benefit is this for, and that you would
be content with the answer,

Some of our colleagues and assoctates would consider a letter like this
mere trouble=making. However, | belfeve it would be a far greater disservice
to the ideals of the University not to bring such an important potential threat
to your attention while there is still hope of dealing with it. This letter,

1 should be quick to remember, does not do justice to the devoted efforts of
many academic civil servants who are a credit to the University, for whose
unstinting help we must be grateful. Nor should It impugn the motives of others
whose main intentfon may indeed be the efficlency of management.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JL/jh

cc: Dean Alway
Dr. Arthur Kornberg
Dr. Avram Goldstein
Dr. Clifford Grobstein