GFFICE MEMORANDUM © STANFORD UNIVERSITY © OFFICE MEMORANDUM © STANFORD UNIVERSITY © OFFICE MEMORANDUM

FROM

SuBJECT:

Dare. February 3, 1975

David A. Prince, M.D.
Chairman, Neurobiology Search Committee

Joshua Lederberg, Ph.D.
Chairman, Department of Genetics

Dear Dave,

I am happy to respond to your letter of January 29th with regard to
your committee's evaluation of Eric Shooter as a possible candidate for
the chairperson of neurobiology. In responding to your letter I have in mind
the background material on the qualifications that we expect from a candidate
for this position,

I recruited Eric to augment the faculty of this department at the time
of the establishment of the Kennedy Laboratories for Molecular Medicine,
This gift from the Kennedy Foundation was in response to our commitment to
pursue a program of molecular biology of the central nervous system, which I
interpreted as the protein biochemistry of the brain. Its relationship to
genetics is best articulated by drawing the analogy of studies on the genetic
determination of hemoglobin structure and the impact that these have had both
on basic molecular biology and on clinical insight into hematological disease,

In fact, Eric's prior work had been primarily in the field of homoglobin
structure and his transition into the functions of this new post was undertaken
at a time when very few others had the trepidation to undertake such a leap.

Not surprisingly Eric's career has been an extremely fruitful one but did
not conform in any simple way to the predictions that prevailed when he first
arrived. He found in studies on the nerve growth factor an obviously riper
arena for investigation than the bolder, more problematical, and possibly
unfeasible program of comprehensive study of the major structural proteins
that we had in mind at the very beginning. That work has been pursued with
great energy and substantial success but has undoubtedly been overshadowed
by the studies on the secondary structure — and to some extent primary —
of NGF and the relationship between this and its function in nerve growth.

I am sure that you will be able to secure, without difficulty, even
more critical and incisive judgements about Eric's scientific work from
others who may be able to offer their remarks with the detachment of greater
distance and the expertise of direct participation in similar experimental
efforts. I will be appending a list of such individuals that may be helpful
to you. I have every confidence that your responses will be at the highest
level of commendation in view of the insistent demands that have been placed
upon Eric's time for service on grants review study sections, symposia,
editorial boards, and similar signs of wide repute, I wiil therefore take
more time primarily to discuss Eric's role in a personal and administrative
capacity since in my own judgement these are sometimes given grossly in-
adequate attention in recruiting candidates for the chairperson role,

Je know in practice that success in that role depends equally upon the personal

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David A, Prince, M.D. -~2- 2/3/75

stature and administrative skill of the incumbent as it does upon his
narrower scholarly accomplishments,

My relationship with Eric as a fellow member of the department over
the years has, of course, provided innumerable opportunities to test his
interest and enthusiasm and intelligence in dealing with problems relating
to the scholarly functions of the department and the school, and his
collegial.style in responding to them. Let me just say, I have never had
occasion to do other than congratulate ourselves for having recruited him
into the role he occupies. Eric has also played an important part in a
number of school-wide and university-connected academic committees,
perhaps most notably the search committee for the deanship that culminated
in the appointment of the present incumbent. I know that he gave this
challenge an extraordinary degree of attention and concern and that his
colleagues on the committee where most grateful for the meticulousness
with which all opportunities were investigated and with which their inputs
were accepted, processed, and mediated until a creative consensus and
a successful outcome were assured,

I have been less directly involved in Eric's involvement with the
Neurobiology Program per se, with the attempts to recruit others into the
chair, and with the financing and planning of the building now under
construction. I do know that he played an important role on all of these
matters but I will leave it to other members of the Neurobiology Program
to comment in more detail on the initiative and the quality of sustained
effort that went into them, The referees that will be listed can also tell
you more at first hand of his labors on national committees which have
influenced not only the development of neurobiology as an identifiable
discipline, but many other aspects important to the continued support and
development of health science research,

With your letter was appended the report of the ad hoc committee on the
Department of Neurobiology and I can only remark that the doctrine presented
there represents in large measure the same interests that Eric has often
expressed to me concerning the nature and role that the new department
should have - this is hardly surprising as he is a signatory and again the
committee itself can speak better than I can about Eric's role in the matter,
Let me add, however, my own enthusiastic support for the concepts of the
department that are articulated there."The concerns expressed by a number of
students and summarized in your memo of January 6th were of course taken
account of by your ad hoc committee, Although Dr. Shooter's own research
interests are of course primarily at the molecular level, this in no way
conflicts with the plea for balancing with regard to studies at a structural
and an integrative level addressed by the students. No single person could
possibly encompass the entire range of studies that relate to neurobiology
today. Clinical neurology in contemporary practice is, of course, very
heavily dependent on structural considerations but it takes little imagination
to see that there will inevitably be a tremendous broadening of the clinical
applications of studies at the molecular level which today are the province
of the basic science laboratory. The most effective answer to the students!’
concern is to seek a candidate who understands for the need for a wide breadth
of approach,and who will be able to lead an activity in neurobiology that
effectively complements and can be warmly related to existing programs under
the aegis of the Department of Neurology, In my own judgement Dr. Shooter

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David A. Prince, M.D. -3- 2/3/75

would most ably fulfil all of these criteria. His teaching of the biochemistry
of hemoglobin in the Departments of Biochemistry and Genetics already

exhibit these qualities as does a significant part of his current research

on the application of knowledge of NGF.

All in all, I would regard Dr. Shooter to be an exemplary prospect
for filling the chair, albeit I make this statement without having had the
opportunity to make a critical comparison with other promising possibilities
currently under review by the committee. Over a period of years he has told
me that he had no particular desire for that appointment, and by and large
would prefer that the vacancy be used to attract some superb scientist and
entrepreneur who might otherwise not be induced to come to Stanford. The
sincerity of his position is unassailable in the light of past history.
I know that during the last year or two that so many of the burdens of the
planning for the department and its facilities and so forth have fallen upon
his shoulders that he might now well believe that his own appointment as
chairperson would lessen rather than augment his responsibilities unless
it were again indeed possible to bring someone into the position of
extraordinary additional capability, I am not in a position to judge whether
this is or is not the present circumstance facing your committee. I can only
say that I would rely very heavily on Dr. Shooter's own judgement on such a
point and that I have unmitigated confidence both in the integrity and the
maturity of his judgement on such issues,

Obviously, one further question that would have to be resolved were he
to undertake these new responsibilities is his continued relationship to
our own department. This is not a matter which I wish to pursue without having
consulted him further in more detail; but I can assure him and the committee
that the department will be delighted to make any reasonable accommodation
that appears to be in the best interest of the school, the respective
departments, and Dr. Shooter personally. In other words, I do not believe
this is a consideration that should be regarded as material to his and your
consideration of the possibility of his appointment as chairman of neurobiology.

JL/rr