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HARVARD UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LITTAUER CENTER M-22
DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT
CAMBRIDGE 38, MASSACHUSETTS
May 5, 1953
Hon. Dean G. Acheson
S.
2805 P Street, N.w.
'NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
RECORDS
JUNE
Washington, D. C.
a SERVICE**
Dear Dean:
I hear from Robert Oppenheimer that he has had a chance to urge
upon you the notion of making some use of your knowledge of the Uni ted
States Government in operation in recent years, and I want to add my
mith
ple a to his. The one part of human beings which is certainly not
infallible or eternal is the memory, and my own feeling from some exper-
ience of comparing the contemporary word with recollection is that time
does not simply subtract from one's accuracy, it divides it. As to the
way in which you do it, you must suit yourself; I'11 say only that if
you felt like holding discussions with a group of only six or eight,
I feol certain that those who were not invited would entirely understand.
The people who really matter in this business will be more concerned
to have a record made than to watch i ts making themselves.
And that brings me to one other point: Robert says not to scare
you, but I do share the historian's prejudice in favor of a written
record. If people are going to feel self-conscious with a tape recorder
running, then some one should undertake the chore of prompt post-
meeting dictation, so that you yourself can make corrections and get
a
fair copy for your own file. Of course, as I see it, there would
be only one copy of any such discussion -- your own.
Do you think Bill and Mary can be wooed and won for New Haven?
I know one thing -- if they are, Erwin Griswold will be annoyed.
As ever,
Mar
McGeorge Bundy
Mc GB :ma
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"ocrText": "HARVARD UNIVERSITY\nFACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES\nLITTAUER CENTER M-22\nDEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT\nCAMBRIDGE 38, MASSACHUSETTS\nMay 5, 1953\nHon. Dean G. Acheson\nS.\n2805 P Street, N.w.\n'NATIONAL\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nJUNE\nWashington, D. C.\na SERVICE**\nDear Dean:\nI hear from Robert Oppenheimer that he has had a chance to urge\nupon you the notion of making some use of your knowledge of the Uni ted\nStates Government in operation in recent years, and I want to add my\nmith\nple a to his. The one part of human beings which is certainly not\ninfallible or eternal is the memory, and my own feeling from some exper-\nience of comparing the contemporary word with recollection is that time\ndoes not simply subtract from one's accuracy, it divides it. As to the\nway in which you do it, you must suit yourself; I'11 say only that if\nyou felt like holding discussions with a group of only six or eight,\nI feol certain that those who were not invited would entirely understand.\nThe people who really matter in this business will be more concerned\nto have a record made than to watch i ts making themselves.\nAnd that brings me to one other point: Robert says not to scare\nyou, but I do share the historian's prejudice in favor of a written\nrecord. If people are going to feel self-conscious with a tape recorder\nrunning, then some one should undertake the chore of prompt post-\nmeeting dictation, so that you yourself can make corrections and get\na\nfair copy for your own file. Of course, as I see it, there would\nbe only one copy of any such discussion -- your own.\nDo you think Bill and Mary can be wooed and won for New Haven?\nI know one thing -- if they are, Erwin Griswold will be annoyed.\nAs ever,\nMar\nMcGeorge Bundy\nMc GB :ma"
}