Finding Aid to the Joshua Lederberg Papers, 1904-2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical/Historical Note

Collection Summary

Administrative Information

Restrictions

Other Descriptive Information

Series Descriptions

Series I: Biography, 1904-1999

Series II: Academic Career, 1925-1999 (bulk 1947-1978)

Series III: Correspondence, 1935-1999
Subseries: CA
Subseries: CB
Subseries: CC
Subseries: CD
Subseries: CE
Subseries: CF
Subseries: Chronological

Series IV: Research, 1941-1999

Series V: Writings, 1941-2001

Series VI: Public Service, 1929-2000

Series VII: Consulting Work, 1948-2000

Series VIII: Calendar Files (Pastcal), 1947-1999

Series IX: Photographs, ca. 1910-2002

Series X: Audiovisual Materials, 1953-2001

Series VI: Public Service, 1929-2000, 24.5 linear feet

The Public Service Series chronicles Lederberg’s extensive career in the public sector, where he served on governmental scientific committees, educational and private corporation committees, boards, and panels. Lederberg had an active role in the decision-making process of many of these organizations. Several organizations represented in the series are also documented in other parts of the Lederberg collection.

The series is divided into eleven sub-series: Biological and Chemical Warfare, Carnegie Commission, Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences, Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel (CNO/CEP), Risk Assessment and Management Commission (RAMC), Defense Science Board, Office of Technology Assessment, Pew Scholars Program, The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, the World Health Organization, and Other. The “Other” sub-series contains content on multiple organizations too small to command their own sub-series. For further description of the organizations in the “Other” sub-series, please consult the finding aid appendix.

Document types found in the sub-series include correspondence, memoranda, membership lists, newsletters, brochures, applications, speeches, press releases, directories, proposal abstracts, notes, meeting minutes, photographs, agenda books and briefing materials, transcripts, reports, drafts, and articles and news clippings. Folders are arranged alphabetically by sub-sub-series heading and chronologically by folder title. Within folders, documents are arranged chronologically and documents without dates are located at the end.

Material is in English, French, and Russian.

VI.1 Biological and Chemical Warfare Prevention, 1929-1999, 8.5 linear feet

The Biological and Chemical Warfare Prevention sub-series is a general subject title (originally assigned by Lederberg) for a group of organizations focused on, or related to, the study and prevention of biochemical warfare. Lederberg generated much of the material in the sub-series while a member of many of the organizations represented.

There are eighteen sub-sub-series, although four contain the bulk of material: Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC), Conference of the Committee on Disarmament (CCD), and the Lederberg Subject Files. The remaining sub-sub-series are the American Society for Microbiology, Chemical and Biological Defense Establishment (CBDE), Chemical and Biological Incident Response Research and Development (CBIRRDS), Defense Science Board Task Force (which also has its own sub-series within the Public Service series), Federation of American Scientists, Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis (IFPA), Lederberg Personal Material, National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Naval Technical Intelligence, Publications, Pugwash Conferences, Stanford University, U.S. Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), and the Vil Mirzayanov Trial. Most of the material present in this sub-series comprises meeting minutes, notes, reports, and correspondence.

For an in-depth analysis of the topics presented in the Biological and Chemical Warfare Prevention sub-series please consult two essays written by Susan McDonough located in the finding aid appendix.

VI.2 Carnegie Commission, 1989-1996, 2.0 linear feet

The Carnegie Commission sub-series contains material generated during Lederberg’s tenure as a co-chair of the commission.

Some material is restricted.

Please note that some documents are labeled “CSAP,” which stands for the Commission on Scientific Advice to the President. This Commission is the same as the Carnegie Commission; Lederberg created this term for filing purposes before the organization officially became the Carnegie Commission.

VI.3 Center for the Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences, 1956-1999, 1.5 linear feet

The Center for the Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) sub-series contains material gathered during Lederberg’s association with the Center. During the 1970s, Lederberg served on the POSTS (Program on Science, Technology, and Society proposal) advisory board, which was affiliated with CASBS to “. . . better understand the interrelation of our technology and our culture through a program which would promote more effective communication between specialists in the natural and in the behavioral and policy sciences.”(This quote is taken from POSTS--An Overview, p.1, which is a manuscript located in box 125, folder 20 of the collection.) To learn more about CASBS and POST consult a short essay written by Susan McDonough in 1999. The document is located in the appendix.

Some material is restricted.

VI.4 Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel, 1981-2000, 2.0 linear feet

The Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel sub-series contains material acquired by Lederberg during his tenure on the executive panel where he served on several task forces. All of this material is restricted until March 2011, and after that date is available to the public only after consultation with the Navy, preferably through the Executive Panel staff.

VI.5 Risk Assessment and Management Commission, 1992-1997, 3.0 linear feet

The Risk Assessment and Management Commission sub-series (RAMC) contains material Lederberg collected during his tenure on this commission.

VI.6 The Defense Science Board, 1973-1999, 2.0 linear feet

The Defense Science Board (DSB) sub-series contains material Lederberg gathered from around the time he served on the board. During his tenure he served on many of the board’s task forces including the Summer Study on Chemical Warfare, Application of High Technology to Ground Forces, Rapid Deployment Forces, Command Support, and Fire Support for Amphibious Warfare. He also headed the Board’s task force on Supercomputer Applications.

Some material is restricted.

VI.7 Office of Technology Assessment, 1984-1996, .75 linear feet

The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) sub-series contains material collected by Lederberg while affiliated with the organization.

Some material is restricted.

VI.8 Pew Scholars Program, 1977-2000, .75 linear feet

The Pew Scholars Program sub-series contains material related to Lederberg’s affiliation with the Program. Lederberg was the first to head the scholarship’s advisory board. He was also very active in the early organization of the oral history/preservation project, which collects the personal histories of Pew Scholars. Documents related to the project can be found the sub-series.

Some material is restricted.

VI.9 The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation (Thailand), 1993-1999, .75 linear feet

The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation (Thailand) sub-series contains material Lederberg collected during his tenure on the international award committee as a United States representative to the foundation.

The bulk of the sub-series is from 1993 and takes the form of applications; most application recommendations are restricted unless the recommendation comes from the application nominator. Two series of numbers appear on each application, one long and the other short. The folders containing applications are arranged chronologically by “short number” assigned to each document.

VI.10 World Health Organization, 1952-1999, 1.25 linear feet

The World Health Organization (WHO) sub-series contains material acquired during and after Lederberg’s participation in the organization. Lederberg served on the Advisory Committee on Health Research and the Advisory Committee on Medical Research (ACMR). In 1994 he was also listed as a temporary advisor. (See, “Provisional list of participants” in the Administrative Documents folder)

The documents from the ACMR session folders are arranged according to the assigned session number. Some material is restricted.

VI.11 Other, 1960-1999 (bulk 1981-1999), 2.0 linear feet

The Other sub-series comprises a group of organizations that contained too little content to command their own sub-series. Lederberg’s participation in the organizations varies as with the ones described in larger individual sub-series.

Organizations represented in this sub-series include the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), Accounts for Chemical Research (ACR), American Philosophical Society (APS), Academie Universelle des Cultures (AUC), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), JASONS, National Advisory Mental Health Council (NAMHC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Weizmann Institute, and Whitehead Institute.

Some material is restricted in AAAS, ACR, AUC, CFR, NAMHC, and UNIDO. Items from UNIDO and the Weizmann Institute have been moved to Oversize.

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