.. REF ID:A65811 

4 June 1951 

MEMORANDUM FOR AFSA-OOT 

Subject: Conversation with Professor MacLane. 

1. I succeeded in reaching Professor MacLane in Chicago by telephone at 2230 

yesterday. Our conversation was rather extended because he raised a number of 

questions. 

2. Professor Ma.cLane said he had received my letter of 25 May and had written 

(but was not sure he had mailed) a reply, which he then sumnarized orally. Apparently he is not enthusiastic about the prospect of being invited to join 

SOAG, but from the tenor of his remarks I take it tbat he is open to persuasion • . ' 

3. The first question Professor Ma.cLane raised was whether the work involved 

wo'lll.d be related to his mathematical interests, which are primarily in abstract 

algebra. His second question was: 1How much time and energy wo'lll.d be required! 1 

I endeavored to reassure him on both points, but was unable to be specific concerning the second. He then remarked, referring to his wartime experience with 

OSRD, 11 1 was burnt once and I don't want to be burnt again." ~his remark, I 

believe, is related to his first question; apparently the work he was assigned 

to perform for OSlID was of a d'lll.l and routine nature, far removed from his 

mathematical interests. 

4. Professor MacLa.ne said he had been visited in Chicago by Professor J. w. T. 

Youngs, who is on leave of absence from Indiana University to work for the A:mC. 

Professor Youngs is traveling around the country trying to enlist the services 

of outstanding mathematicians as AEO consultants. The technique of the personal 

visit (which, I am told, Professor von Neumann has recommended strongly to us) 

seems more likely to succeed than an approach by letter and telephone. 

5. Professor )~e showed no disposition to balk at filling out the Personal 

History Statement I sent him, but said he would need a little time to obtain 

some information for the "Residence since birth11 item. He raised some questions 

concerning this item, which I answered to the best of my ability. When I first 

brought up the matter of fingerprints, early in the conversation, be suggested 

that we wait until he had thought the matter over and decided what his attitude 

would be toward a formal invitation to join SCA.G. Later, however, when I 

suggested that having a clearance on file would be advantageous to him if he 

decided to participate in 8.'lJ.1' sort of defense work, he consented to have his 

prints taken. 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 04-14-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 

.. 
~GOHFl£001Al REF ID:A6581_1. 

OOl!.'.filli!iN1!IIL 

4 June 1951 

Subject: Conversation with Professor MacLa:o.e. 

6. Saunders V.a.cLane is one o:t the world's leading algebraists; I can think: 

of only two or three men in America (all born in CentraJ. Europe) who might 

be held to outra.n...'lt him in this field. He has an extraordinarily fertile and 

original mind, and in m:r opinion, and that of' other .AFSA mathematicians, we 

should be extremely fortunate to obtain his services as a member of SCAG. 

Attached hereto is a tentative draft of two paragraphs of a letter I recommend sending to Professor Ma.cLane after hit!I written repl7 to rq letter of 

25 May has been received; I think another pa.ra&raph should be added to this 

letter, in which some indication should be given of the a.mount of time that 

members of SCA.G would be expected to devote to our problems. 

Copies to: 

A.FSA-03A.l 

A.FSA.-34 

-2-

J).n.~ 

D. D. MILLER 

LODR, USM 

90lf.FiBElftttL 

.. 
• REF ID:A65811 

TENTATIVE 

Dear Saunders, 

Time was too limited during our telephone conversation Sunday night for 

me to say mu.ch in detail about the questions you raised. And, of' course, 

there are always the frustrating but really necessary seC'1.ir1ty restrictions. 

The is one point, however, on which I want to reassure 70u. We do not 

deal with dirty differential equations, and in general our problems are not 

amenable to the methods of what is usually called "applied mathematicsn. 

Among the mathematicians now devoting full time to these problems are 

algebraists of' good repute (Howie Oampaigne, Al Olifford, Marsba.ll Hall). 

Our great and pressing need is for abstract thinking of the.highest order, 

for ideas rather than mere technical facility. 

(f tnsert Paragraph on time required of' SO.AG members). 

Sincerely, 

])~ 

B ! UlfMll 

11en, m1t 

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