University of Glasgow

Date:
1970
Reference:
PP/CRI/E/1/18/7
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: University of Glasgow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/17
    25 February 1970 Professor D. R, Newth Department of Zoology The University Glasgow, W. 2 Dear Newth It is very nice of the three of you to suggest that I might come to Glasgow and give a colloquium. In principal I should like to do this but there is one small difficulty. A little time ago, I made a decision not to give any lectures in 1970, so as to have more time to concentrate on my new line of work. As a result I have already refused a fair number of invitations to lecture. There is no doubt in my own mind that coming to give you a colloquium would not be excluded in this way but I would not want to give offence to those people who I had refused, and I have been wondering whether I could visit you with the minimum of publicity. Experience in recent years has shown that when ever I have attempted to give a small talk to a limited number of people, this has been made impossible by the large number who try to attend, mainly so that they can just have a look at me. If you could arrange it that the attendance of the colloquium were by invitation only and not advertised, I think we might get round these difficulties. You will, of course, understand that I do not in any way want to restrict the attendance of any person who is closely interested in these problems. My only other reservation is that I have not very much to add beyond what has appeared in the article in NATURE but I should like to visit you for my own education, so if you would accept me on these terms I should be happy to come. I am going away early in May, but roughly speaking any dates in April or the latter part of March would be convenient for me. I could probably arrange to stay overnight, as I find this makes travelling less of a strain. Yours sincerely F.H.C. Crick
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