February 19, 1959

Dean Lyle H. Lanier
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Univerrity of I4noir
Urbana, Illinoir

Dear Lyle,

    I wish to thank you very much for your letter of
February 13, 1959, and to explain to you why I have de-
cided to accept the position offered to me by M. I. T.

     As you know, my main interest irr in participating
in the building of an outsltanding training and research center
in biology.  I am certain that thir can be accomplirhed in
both placer and I alro realiee that ruch an accomplishment
at Illinoir would be a more valuable public rervice,  The
rea8on8 for my choosing M. I. T. are purely personal; the
opportunity for me to develop a biology training program of
an unusual kind, and the opportunity for Zella to purcrue a
career of her own in a completely rreparate inrtitution.
While she has always felt welcome in the PIychology De-
partment at Illinois, it would always be difficult for her
to be sure that she ir really needed,

     I wf8h to a86ure you, Provost Ray, and Dean Wall
that I shall be leaving Illinois with a very troubled feeling
and with nothing but good will and gratitude for the wonderful
way I have been treated by the Administration, my colleaguea,
and especially by the Department of Bacteriology.  In a sen8e,
Urbana will alwaylr be home for us.  If there ir anything I can
do to help the University or the Department, you can always
count on me.

    Aa for the plan8 you are developing for Biology, I
think they will, ar a whole, help build a good group.  I have
8ome qualms a8 to the derirability of verting too much power
in the Executive Cmnmittee of the propored School of Life
Sciences, le8t the rtrongert departmentr, like Bacteriology
and Entomology, be rubjected to excessive control from without,
I &ill feel that a center of Ba8iC Biology, outride the depart-
ment6, would be a useful inrtrument for growth,


Dean Lyle H. Lanier       -2.

February 19, 1959

    In my opinion, the key8 to 8uccel8 will alwayr be:
the procurement of top people for the faculty; the careful
handling of each appointment in terms of the long-term program;
and the encouragement of new approacher to biological rerearch
and teaching, unhampered by too many traditional assumptions
a8 to the functiona of biology departments.

     Please extend my thanks and regards to Provort FUy and
Fred Wall.  Zella and I were upret at the new8 of your mother's
illnes a.  We hope her direare may have the rlow course often ob-
rerved in patient8 of advanced age.

   . .
With bert perronal regardr,

Sincerely your8,

S. E. Luria

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