ARNEGIE INSTITUTION

C OF WASHINGTON Extcidiiifi //IC 1;routicrs of Scicitce

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

July 26, 1993

Mrs. Mary Lasker
870 United Nations Plaza
New York, New York 10017

Dear Mrs. Lasker,

I write with some thoughts stimulated by the recent meeting

of the Lasker Award Jury.

Your gift of these awards to the biomedical scientific

community has brought many very special benefits to the research
effort.
scientists that their efforts are truly appreciated. The
program also emphasizes, repeatedly, to the general public, the
importance of biomedical research to the general well-being, and
to the vast improvements in the treatment of disease in our
life-times. Over the years, the public, in the form of its
elected representatives, has responded with truly strong support
for biomedical research. Your personal efforts to \;his end of
course ware a vital part of that success. At this time, your
decades-long enthusiastic efforts are particularly important for
us to remember. Our nation has always been ambiguokis about
supporting science, for many reasons. Leaders like yourself
kept the public decisions forward-looking. Currently, we
desperately need more Mary Laskers, because science and its
contribution are not well understood by the current federal
Administration. The occasion of the Jury meeting and, in the
fall, the announcement of the prizes to extraordinary scientists
will again help to remind the nation of the great benefits that
come from the national support of research.
such reminders and we are all enormously grateful for your
providing them.

The program repeatedly emphasizes to the dedicated

Our country needs

With respectful and kind regards,

Sincerely,

Maxine F. Singer U

President

MFS/sb
bcc: Jordan Gutterman

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