DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS 
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL 
25 Shattuck Street 
BOSTON. MASSACHUSETTS 02115 
13 February 1976 
Donald S. Fredrickson , M.D. 
Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson: 
My immediate inclination after the hearings at NIH was to send , once again, 
our written comments on the issues in question. Thinking over this course 
of action made me hesitate and then decide to scrap such an approach . 
You are aware, I hope, of our position . Likewise for the views presented 
by Drs. Berg, Hogness , Singer, and Curtis. At both the industrial and 
university level molecular biologists await your decision. 
The brief respite since the hearings has given me a rare moment to stand 
back and look for an overview of events occur ing since Woods Hole and the 
issues in question. I was struck by many things, two of the most prominent 
being: 
1) that America is once again, as in the case of atomic power, opting 
only for development rather than development, leadership , and 
control of a new technology ; and, 
2) that through out this controversy, the various sides have never sat 
down together and delt with the issues point by point. Such does 
not happen via the press or during public hearings . 
My own future involvement the with the recombinant DNA molecule issue is questionable 
since past efforts have caused me to neglect both teaching and research 
responsibilities. It seems that there is no academically acceptable avenue 
for involvement in the development and style of future studies with 
recombinant DNA molecules . This somehow seems wrong since we all agree 
that it will have a heavy impact on both science and society. I would be 
interested in hearing any thoughts you might have on this matter. 
Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any future help. 
Sincerely , 
Assistant Professor 
[ 453 ] 
