Department of Physics
                                                                          February 19, 1970
Dr. Freda Salzman
203 Fuller Street
Brookline, Mass. 02146

Dear Freda,

      The Physics Department Executive Committee has prepared the statement which appears below, in order for you to be fully aware of the department's position on your reappointment to the faculty and on your general qualifications as a faculty member. We hope you will find this statement useful.

      Professors Antonoff and Lyons, as the eligible members of the Executive Committee, have repeatedly contended in written and verbal communications with both Chancellor Ryan and Chancellor Broderick, that the initial appointments of yourself and George were made by the Trustees in full awareness of University policy on employment of close relatives and that therefore, the appointments were not in violation of University policy. They have argued that you qualify as one of the rare exceptions allowed for by the Trustees, "rare exceptions ...... involving unusually qualified husband and wife teams, both of whom are proven scholars and both of whom have held professional posts in other universities of quality."*
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[* Quoted from the minutes of the August 11, 1967 meeting of the Faculty and Educational Policy Committee of the Board of Trustees.]
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Professors Antonoff and Lyons have documented their claim of your exceptional status with letters from ten of the world's most distinguished physicists, including Nobel laureates. Three quotations from outside references follow:

      "I believe she would qualify as a tenure member in the best physics department of this country."

      "I believe that both persons are quite outstanding theoretical physicists . . . It would be a definite and serious loss to the department if you could not keep them both."

      " . . . I feel it would be an honor for the University to have her associated with it."

In addition, Antonoff and Lyons have supported the department's position with citation of the support you have received from outside agencies, and by presentation of your curriculum vitae.

      Those of us who had the opportunity to work with you in this department prior to your leave of absence know and highly value your contributions to the department's objectives of teaching, scholarship and service. The entire Executive Committee has high regard for your professional qualifications.

      The Executive Committee regards the termination of your appointment on the grounds of nepotism as a breach of the understanding that existed between you and the University at the time of your initial appointment. It has voted to bring this matter before the Tenure and Grievance Committee and hopes that this will lead to your reinstatement.

                                                                          Sincerely,
                                                                          Physics Department Executive Committee
                                                                          /s/(Prof.) Donald H. Lyons
                                                                          /s/(Assoc. Prof.) Marvin M. Antonoff
                                                                          /s/(Assoc. Prof.) Harold P. Mahon
                                                                          /s/(Assoc. Prof.) Arthur W. Martin
                                                                          /s/(Assoc. Prof.) D.V.G.L.N. Rao
                                                                          /s/(Assoc. Prof.) John Shane