November 17, 1969

Secretary Robert H. Finch

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
330 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D. C. 20201

Dear Mr. Finch,

Having juat preceded you on the program, I had the privilege
of hearing you address the Mayo Alumni at Los Angeles Saturday
afternoon.

Before you arrived I had strongly supported and congratulated
you for your actions on DDT and cyclamates. I was not so extravagant
to tell the group that this was a more positive contribution to the
health of the public than the sum-total of their "repair and salvage”
operations.

I was then rather dismayed and depressed at the tone of your
own opening remarks which seemed to say “stamp put research’ for it
is diverting our best minds.

This was particularly oppressive in the light of the bafflement
you must feel about the seientific base for the evaluation of
environmental hazards.

Then I thought: research muat be uncomfortable to the administrator
on the spect as you are, for it undoubtedly exposes hazards and dilemmas
of which all of us might prefer to remain blissfully ignorant - till
the bodies pile up.

Hon} Lda NtY

Surely this is not your motive. But I wonder if you perceive how
negatively you are coming across on this issue, quite apart from the
hard realities of budgetary choices. You really sound as if you relish
the demoralization of research, in which you may be all too successful.

Nevertheless, I am too much in your debt in other areas todo
other than cheer you on. And I am in absolute agreement with you
about re-etructuring medical education for multiple levels of entry
and exit. I do not think decrying research is much positive help.

(It was not "academic medicine" that fought comprehensive health care
tooth and nail!) Nor have we ssen much positive help for a place like
Stanford to move ahead with ites own plans along these lines.

Sincerely yours,

Joahua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

IJL/rr