Room 9N-119, Bldg. 10

January 15, 1973

James J. Castles, M.D.
Ass is tant Professor of Medicine
The University of Chicago
950 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Dear Jim:

It wasn't clear from  your Letter whether you had a firm, but informal,
appointment at Davis or whether there was still a real question. I
assume, from the fact you spoke of a real choice that it is the former.
I'm really delighted.
Chicago was an error. You'll be glad to know that in the various letters
I've written for YOU over the years, that situation was always pointed
out, with an attempt to give a balanced picture of your own role  in the
collaboration.

More or less, I think yoa're right in feeling

The situation is dreadful all over.
Morale is very low over the firing of Marston. And people who previously
threw all job offers in the round file are now seriously looking. There
is not even a rumor about who will replace Marston.
worse before they get better .

Even NIH is quaking for real now.

Things will get

Meanwhile we (myself and two new hard working but not yet proved fellows)
have our monkey cells growing, SV40 growing, various substrates prepared,
and are actually starting experiments.  I am very pleased by the progress
these few months, though it's just boling up until the last week or so.
Therefore it's 8 bad time to be going off to India for three weeks, but
I'm going.
Resettling both at  lab and home has been a drag, and I can't quite
manage the 20-hour days any more (shades of Leon Heppel and complaints
on aging).

Actually it's bad for other reasons, mainly, I'm tired.

All else is well--keep me posted.

Yours,

Maxine Singer

MS : peg