Jun. 1, 1973 Dr. B.C.C. Lin Department sf Wicrobiolagy uid Melecular Genetics tkrrvard Mdical Schoel 25 Shattuclr Street Bwitm, mroachurettr 02235 Dear Dr. Lin, I have spent conrider8ble time in the part ten days contemplatfng the prorpectr for life and werk hare and in Borton. minted with Ifagering doubtr, i8 that I rhmuld withdraw ry candidrcy for a porith fn your departmmt. l4y conclurion, Thtr deci8imn is bared not 80 much upen pzmblemr I fororee in 3ort.n 80 upen my feeling largely content with vhat S have here. imprersed with the breadth of your relltively -11 department, tempted by the new laborrterier, flattered by your attentiens, and drawn te the p.rribility of a more challenging rtudent body. Bowover, I war troubled to receive the farpnrrien that the iEccp might be rwrpicf.ue of tho ~rt mf large, cmllaborative effort. that reem to me necerrary for firrt-rate work in the (too) shurply competitive field of t-r vinlegy. a180 dirturbed by the renre that my job recurity at IWrvard would depend too heavily upon the imprerrion mtherr had of my indepondence from any renior c.tnorkerr. candidacy, I have cenriderod my attituder towarer the other porribilitier: I muld not went to work fn thfi fiord wikthout at laart one other drpart- manta1 member to help run the operati-; if that perron were ewior to me, th8 indepondence issue might sxfee again; if he ar 8he wore mot, it 8e1u likely that anxietier about tenure might jeilrpardite our nlationrhip. I war I war Since Hike has already decided to withdraw his To a cert8in extent, I rurpect that much ilrf what I h8v8 ufd my be rationalisation, rince it ir net in character for me to be troubled by qwrrticbar of recurity and succers. €lowever, X .I disturbed by the fact that there quertione ware 10 ofton raised by re and by others in dircurriear about Em. But, a8 X +rid at the outret, my heritancy about moving derivor more directly from a groving seare that San francfree ir right new a very good place fer me to be. In racent mathr, we have acquired additional apace, begun the organisation of rtreng rub-departlwntr mf grmeticr and viral encalegy, inrtituted important changer in the teaching mf medical P2 ~in/Varmw 6-1-73 alcmbiolegy, and outlhod plan8 for a now graduate pmgran in coll biology. mmmtainr of! Califorat.. I hovo acquired son fdontity in a crowddl fiold, derpite my many renier co-~.FLorr; and I am centhtmllp hearteded by the cellabsrative offortr and menthly wotingr of tho California tumer virur colloctlve (Vogt, Duorborg, ot 81). Givm there thingr, it ir particularly difficult for ma to oloct to feavo than in face sf my uncort8intp about the rrltornative. I liko the pooplo I wprk with, tho bure I live in, and tho I think our work har been productive; I feel Dorpitr there notor of contontmont, bower, I waottyou to know that I war conridering very rerisurly the prorpoctr Horvard offered. ueodlorr to ray, approcirtivo Qf tb~ BpportMLty YOU thom fitrt-b8nd. Connie to jsin me. market sad to glimpro the current Bortoaian ambiance, it wauld havo baran difficult for ppl) to auko this docirien in gd faith to her. I am, Ba to obrerve It w.8 particularly kind to make it porriblo for Without a chanco for her to ovaluate the ljourn8lim Yours truly, Harold S. Vaxmu., X.D. Arrirtant Proferror Departmeat ef Microbiolcpgy