SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE for GANGER RESEARCH 
i DONALD S. WALKER LABORATORY, 145 BOSTON POST RD-, RYE. N . Y. 10500 
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OWENS 0-1100 
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! 
September 19, 1979 
Dr. Donald S. Fredrickson 
Di rector 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20205 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson: 
I am appalled by the recent vote (Sept. 6-7) of the RAC regarding 
the NIH guidelines. What might have been a laudible effort by this 
committee has become dirty with common political maneuvering. Whether 
or not the vote of 10-4 (with one abstension) is "legal" is irrelevant. 
It is clear that the spirit of this committee will have vanished should 
you accept this decision to eliminate virtually all safeguards for the 
general community. This is after all a public issue; the convenience 
of scientists is hardly reason to replace sane procedures with irresponsi- 
ble ones. 
The May meeting of the RAC, which I attended, bordered on a sham; 
the September meeting, with heavy input from industrial interests was 
stacked for achieving purposes not concerned with public interests. 
Yours truly. 
- - . I / ) 
Liebe F. Cavalieri, Ph.D. 
Member, Sloan-Kettering Institute 
Professor of Biochemistry, Graduate 
School of Medical Sciences 
Cornell Medical College 
LFC/nc 
[325] 
RESEARCH UNIT OF MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER 
