ROOM 5500
49 WEST 497 STREET
NEW YORK 20

March 2, 1959

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

A national Symposium on Basic Research is to be held on
May 14, 15, and 16, this meeting being under the joint sponsorship
of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, and the Sloan Foundation. The costs
involved, including the printing and distribution of the papers
and other findings, are being met by the Sloan Foundation. The
sessions will be held in the Caspary Auditorium of The Rockefeller
Institute in New York City.

Dr. Detlev W. Bronk as President of the Academy,
Dr. Paul E. Klopsteg as President of the AAAS, and Mr. Alfred P.
Sloan, Jr., as President of the Sloan Foundation, form the
Sponsoring Committee. The Committee on Arrangements consists of
Dr. S. D. Cornell for the National Academy, Dr. Dael Wolfle for
the AAAS, and Dr. Richard T. Arnold for the Sloan Foundation, the
Chairman of this Committee and the Symposium Coordinator being
Dr. Warren Weaver.

Enclosed with this letter you will find a brief state-
ment of the purpose of the Symposium and a description of the
program. We think you will agree that the list of speakers,
chairmen, panelists, and rapporteurs assures that this will be a
significant meeting. These active participants, numbering almost
fifty, have (with one or two exceptions) agreed to be present all
three days of the meeting.

In addition to this central core of about 50 persons who,
in different capacities and at various sessions, will be upon the
platform, we plan to invite roughly 60 persons to be present at all
three days; and roughly 140 further persons to be present on
Thursday and Friday only.

Thus the total attendance on Thursday and Friday will be

roughly 250; and at the closed discussion on Saturday, roughly 100
persons.

We invite you to attend all three days. We are
particularly concerned to have a strong representation for the
discussion session on Saturday, and we therefore have a special
interest that you accept this invitation.
Dr. Joshua Lederberg ~2- March 2, 1959

We shall be giad, in all cases in which this is desired,
to provide travel expenses and a flat allowance of $25 per day for
living expenses for the three days in New York City. You will of
course be a guest at the dinner on Thursday evening.

We very much hope you will be able to attend, and we
would greatly appreciate a prompt reply.

Very sincerely yours,

erry (gs.ecuss)

Warren Weaver

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Medical School
Stanford University
Palo Alto
California

Enclosure
2
ce: College of #ngtneering
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin