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Baird Hastings, to head the research work at the University of Chicago, he was unable to give much further time to the operation of the fund as his own businesses were pressing him. After a few years Dr. Hastings got a better offer from Harvard University and left. Several people were appointed to head the work after him, but none of them were great geniuses.

In '39, when I first met Albert, no one was working directly in the fund, which was called the Lasker Foundation of the University of Chicago. Robert Hutchins, who was then President of the University, urged Albert consequently to release the million dollars for the general purposes of the University. Naturally, Hutchins wasn't interested in medical research at all, but he was interested in getting loose money with which to run the University.

And this money had been lying fallow for. . .

Had been lying fallow, and the interest on the money was supposed to be paying for research operations. I suppose the interest would have been $50,000 a year, which at that time was considered a good grant for a research effort in an area.

Albert was harrassed with his business and he didn't have time to find a suitable person to head the work, so he agreed to release the money for the general purposes of the University, and this splendid fund, which could have been used for cancer or heart research, was dissipated in the general funds