June 17, 1981
Dear Dick,
In accordance with our most recent conversation last evening, I have decided to announce my retirement as Director of the National Institutes of Health this Friday morning, to be effective on or about July one.
I am sending a letter to the President to this effect and enclose a copy.
As you know, I take this step with great ambivalence, for NIH is in the very marrow of my bones.  I very much appreciated your immediate invitation to continue in my post upon your taking office as Secretary, and have enjoyed the continuation during the past six months of our shared interests in maintaining the vitality of biomedical research.
I believe that you should, perhaps now more than ever, continue your plans for a visit to NIH next week.  I will be pleased and honored to be your guide there.  In the same way, I will always be ready to assist you in any way that I can in reference to the Agency and the biomedical sciences, of which it is the preeminent steward.
Our personal relationship has been an easy one of mutual interest and respect.  I am grateful for that friendship and extend to you my very best wishes for your continued success in the extremely important post of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sincerely,
Donald S. Fredrickson, M.D.
Director