STANFORD UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL CENTER
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA

DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY

DAvenport 1-1200
School of Medicine

Yeceimber 19, 1962

Dr, George Wald

The Biological Laboratories
Harvard University

16 Divinity Avenue

Vambridge 38, Massachusetts

Dear Dr. Valid:

Josh Lederberg showed me your letter of inquiry about your
interest in getting a bright young man for your department. He didn't
have anyone to suggest, but he knew that I had two people finishing up
this coming surnmer.

Cne of ther: has already accepted a position but you right be
interested in the other. His name is William B. Wood, Jr. and he is,
in fact, a chemistry graduate of Harvard College. He will be getting
his degree this summer and has already made arrangements for a post-
doctoral year in Geneva with Arber in Kellenbarger's laboratory. He
would, however, be interested in settling on something suitable before .
he goes abroad.

Bill came to us in 1959 and chose to work with me on some
aspects of our studies on protein synthesis. The first oart of his work
is summarized in the enclosed reprint. He has continued these studies
with a view to defining the nature of the interaction between the ribo-
sore and the RNA made by the RNA polymerase. In particular, he has
been trying to find out why RNA made oi single-stranded ONA/ is ineffec-
tive in promoting protein synthesis while RNA made with native double-
stranded DNA as primer ie active. He has turnec up some rather
interesting findings and I think by the time he leaves here he will have
rnade a valuable contribution to the field. Jim Vatson is familiar with
his work and has met him, so perhaps he might offer an opinion. Also,
Dr. Edsall met him ona recent visit here and he too right be able to
provide an opinion.
Dr. Wald Fage 2

When Bill came here he was highly recommended by various
people at Harvard and from our experience 1 would make the recommen-
dation far stronger. I would rate hi: us one of the best graduate students
I have seen and I have no doubt that others in our departrient would feel
the same way. He is extremely well-poised, mature, sensitive, cooper-
ative and highly intelligent. He is very well-liked by the other students
and does an extremely effective job in teaching and in sersinars. I feel
quite safe in predicting a very bright future ior him.

If you are at all interested in pursuing this you could contact
frthur Kornberg or Mel Sohn (now at the Pasteur Institute) for their

Opinions about Wood.

oincerely yours,

Faul Lery

PB:cm

cc: Dr. Joshua Lederberg