• REF ID :A72g.f2 

• 

Institute for Numerical Analysis 

University of California 

405 Hilgard Avenue 

Los Angeles 24, California 

25 August lQS2 

:Major General Ralph J. Canine 

Director, Armed Forces Security Agency 

Department of Defense 

Washington 25, D. c. 

Dear General Canine:-

Th.is will summarize the conversation which Robertson, Tompkins 

and I had with you on Thursday afternoon 14 August. The three 

of us expressed our opinion that another summer symposium should 

be sponsored at the same location next year. We all agreed on 

the necessity for an early decision so that (1) the space requirements might be transmitted to Professor Magnus Hestenes, 

Head of the UCLA Department of Mathematics, in time for him to 

take effective action, (2) a leader for the symposium might be 

designated and be able to make an early start on the recruitmentand clearance of personnel. I believe you planned to consult 

with others in .AFSA and to reach a decision by 1 September. 

We have thought about the question of a leader for another symposium. Tompkins and I, after furth~r discussion (influenced by 

likely earlier commitments of Marshall Hall, Jr., whom we 

1 favored), believe that specific nominations might best be deferred until a concise description of the chairman's duties is 

prepared. It seems to us that if you decide by 1 September £0 

hold the symposium,·then you might at ~he same time ask advisors 

to prepare by 15 September · ~" ~J. -· -

1. A statement of firm general objectives acceptable to 

you, the contractor and themselves, 

2. Nominations of key participants, 

3. Specification of duties of chairman and nomination of 

a suitable person, 

4. Calendar of deadlines for the remaining plans for the 

symposium. 

In order to avoid a discontinuity in the work be~neen the tt.vo 

swmners, it was suggested that research on a small scale continue 

@'pp roved for Release by NSA on 02-12-2014 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 
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• REF ID:A72042 • 

at UCLA during the coming aoademic year, perhaps through the 

medium of the INA to avoid some of the complications of setting 

up a new oontract at short notice. 

I reoODD:n.ended, and I believe the others concurred, that the work 

of this summer be evaluated by suitably cleared mathematicians 

who did not participate in the symposium, and then, taking their 

criticisms into account, by the appropriate AFSA personnel. 

Howard Engstrom, Mina Rees, H. P. Robertson and John von Neumann 

are possibilities for the first evaluation. I feel that the 

symposium should be judged from twp main points of view, first 

with regard to the suitability of its objectives and second with 

regard to its success in progressing toward these object:iRes. 

The evaluat~ons should throw light o~ (1) the desirability of 

continuing such research efforts beyond next smiimer and (2) modifications which might well be made with regard to research 

program, location, personnel, equipment and so on. It 1•1ould be 

helpi'ul if the results could be available in time to be used in 

planning next summer's symposium, if there is to be one, but the 

decision whether to have one should probably, for reasons indicated 

above, not be delayed. 

I will. of course, prepare a comprehensive report_ on the activities 

,_ of this summer. 

: You and we also briefly discussed on 14 August, some of your 

personnel problems, parti9ularly that of the directorship of 

research. The pr~ncipal names suggested were: 

Dr. Merill M. Flood 

Rand Corporation 

1500 Fourth Street 

Santa Monica, California 

Professor A. P. ·Morse 

University of Galifornia 

Berkeley, California 

Dr. D.· H. Lehmer Professor John w. Tukey 

Institute for Numerical Analysis Fine Rall ---- - - - • • .:: .. -..:===:c ••• :. - ---".t :.~ .... _,...., .. ....:::.-------.=....::.:..:-_-:,.-.. - ·---=----·-..:.. ___ --- ------- National Bureau of Standards Princeton, New Jersey 

405 Hilgard Avenue 

Los Angeles 24, California 

Professor E. J. McSbane· 

University of Virginia 

Charlottesville, Virginia 

Professor J. L. Walsh 

Department of Mathematics 

Harvard University 

Cambridge ga, Mass. 

I expect to spend the first part of the week of 8 September in 

Washington and will be glad to discuss the above matters further 

with you if you wish. 

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... _,. .... ~ 

REF ID:A7204. 

This letter has been seen and approved by Tompkins. A copy is 

being. sent to Robertson. 

cc: c. B. Tompkins 

H. P. Robertson 

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Yours sincerely. 

SterNart S. Cairns. 

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