26 
in the negotiations at this stage, met with representatives of local 
institutions. These included the University of Oregon Medical School, 
the University of Oregon^', the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon, 
Inc., and the Oregon State System of Higher Education. As a result of 
these negotiations it was agreed that a Director of the Center would be 
designated^/, that a "Statement of Responsibilities and Relationships "(16) 
would be prepared and signed-^', and that these would be accomplished before 
a grant would be awarded by the Heart Institute. The "Statement of Respon- 
sibilities and Relationships: Primate Research Center in Oregon" refers to 
"the grant applications dated April 15, 1960 and the memorandum dated April 8, 
1960 summarizing Portland meeting of April 4, 1960 as basic documents." The 
"Statement" contained sections on the "Purpose of the Center," "Administrative 
and Academic Relationships," the "Scientific Advisory Council," and "Signatures. 
Under "Signatures," was a section relative to the representatives who signed 
the "Statement." At the end of the statement is an acknowledgment of the 
receipt of the document by the National Heart Institute, and this is signed 
by Dr. James Watt, the Institute DirectorAI'. 
Dr. Watt's foresight in requiring this signed statement prior to the award of 
the construction and operational grants for the establishment of the center 
was fully demonstrated later when serious difficulties developed relative to 
the administrative, academic, functional responsibilities, and role of the 
Director of the Center. The "Statement," reinforced by subsequent communica- 
tions from the Heart Institute staff, served as a sound basis for the mainten- 
ance of the primate center operation according to the initial understanding. 
The difficulty which occurred at this Center brought into effect another 
principle pertaining to the Regional Primate Research Centers Program: that 
a center's operational difficulties are to be considered local problems so 
long as they do not jeopardize the existence and welfare of the regional center 
as originally established. The Federal Government will intervene only when 
the difficulty is of sufficient magnitude to seriously jeopardize the center 
and when local attempts to solve the problem fail. This principle was the 
basis of the statement in a letter from the Heart Institute to the University 
of Oregon School of Medicine (the "host" institution) which included the 
following: "It is our understanding that the conditions under which the center 
has been established, will be the conditions under which it will continue to 
operate. Any attempt on the part of the Director of the center or any other 
44 / The Medical School was not a part of the University of Oregon; the 
Medical School Dean was not administratively responsible to the President of 
the University. 
45 / Dr. Donald Pickering, University of Oregon Medical School, was selected. 
46/ The "Statement" is dated April 17, 1960. 
47 / The "Statements" prepared and signed at the other center sites were 
similar. (16) 
