Memo from To:

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

___tudes in American Thoug

 

Professor Charles

Frankel
Calum bio

N 2
Social Science and Policy 8 S72

 

I have given much thought about your
proposal, and after some vacillation, have
decided that I had better decline. After
hearing a seminar by Herrnstein yesterday,
it became ever clearer that the content of
his and Jensen's assertions (a coupling made
by himgelf) has had very little to do with
public (and policy?) reactions. The style
has been all important; and this would carry
me beyond my depth in sociological analysis
of public ppinion. (The matter of style is
even more egregious in re Shockley, who has
so little else to offer.)

I hope you will not avoid the issue (as,
in a way, I now must do) but will find the ap-
propriate expertise to deal with problems of
social propaganda and how they influence
public policy.

If you do find someone (un)wise enough to
attempt such reflection oh the Jensen etc. iss
ues, I may still be able to contribute, if
you wish, with a critical reprise on the
scientific validity of the genetics invoked
or implied therein, There are times when I
feel you should find the highest competence
in an actual field of work; and I am still an
amateus in social science and philosophy.

I might perhaps nominate M.H. Haller
(U Chicago??) author of an excellent histo-

rical work, on EUGENICS Hekeditarign atti-
ht Rutgers.

/ don heed Ants Sey. Sincerely,

PROFESSOR JOSHUA LEDERBERG
Department of Genetics

oy School of Medicine

\ \ ¢ Stanford University

Lai Stanford, California 94305

 

 

sea 0-3