December 3, 1956

Mr* adorotu w WatktAis
307 BuaibeOP
Goiumbta Urzivereity
New York 27, New York

Daar Mr. Watkins:

   I am an opttmtat on thEI rubject of retirement at 65 or 68.  These
agao are too low for some, to<, high for athers.  A principaS function of
untveraiitter is to develop brilliant young minds and provide the envtron-
mat for their moat effective use;  Thtr cannot be done if the waiver&y
allows its departments and t&oratories to be ciutttred up with the aged.

   The sxpsricnce and judgment of the proferaor who retires are not
lost. There is the ememb5t of his published papers and books available
to all who wish to read. We usually continues to write.  The medical man
or scientific worker who retires in fortaua&e possea~ioa of his full
famlti~r and health L usually offered several alternativce such as
diractorships of rroauch or visiting professorships, someth-nea at a
htghur salary than his untvero#y paid him,  There is at least one university
with a retirement age of 70 which absorbs several younger emeriti of
other universities annuallyI granting them vtaiting professomo age 70
aad paying the difference between the p'lsnoton already received and fulA
profcsu@rial aa&ary - a very profitable arraulgament for both professor and
untverrtty,

   I was fortunate in bsing abie to continue rerearch on the same scale
and with almo8t no interruption, on an annual appointment as visIlting
profaruar at Rutgrsr~ University.  If I suddenly become eentle my university
hosts are under PO obligation to continue providing useful laboratory and
office spaces or if I run out of ideas or get tired I am under no obligation to
coAttAue .  Columbia was very generous and allowed me to take a truckload of
more or loss opectalised rrguipmsrnt along, bo that our new laboratories were
operating smoothly in an unbelievably short time.  The various granting
agencies, government amnd private, happily have no prejudice against
~$+riacipal investigators" in the emeritus category.

   With regard to your specific questiona, I have already answered some
of them,  I know of one industrial firm that has made available a laboratory
and technician to a long since retired professor of pharmacology.  &other
retired biochemist was a conrpuftant to several industries until his death.


Mr. Morris W. Watkins

-2.

December 3, 1956

    I do not know whet the universities are doing about upgrading retire-
ment incomes to meet increased living coah,  Two research institutes that
I know about have done so.

    As indicated above, I think the Universttyls mandatory retirement
procedure is a just and fair one.  No system should be inflexible, and on
rare occasions exceptions should be and are being made.

   My twenty-seven years of pre-emeritus activity at Columbia were
very happy ones and the transition to the emeritus status was made with a
tact and generosity that miuimiEied the inevitable pangs of the physical
separation. Intellectually, of court, I remain a loyal member of the
Columbia community,

You may quote any of the above that you wish.

Sincerely yours,

Michael Heidelberger

MHXDP