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Show T H E UNIVERSITY OF M I C H I G A N • D E P A R T M E N T OF FINE ARTS TAPPAN HALL • ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN December 18, 1959 Professor Aziz S, Atiya Center for Language and Literature Studies University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Dear Aziz: As I mentioned in my recent postcard, it was very tantalizing to pass through Salt Lake City on the train and not be able to wave a greeting to the Atiya family. However, you have been much in my thoughts since I had lunch with you in Princeton last May. When i learned you had accepted your present post, which is so honorable and offers so many advantages, I felt as if some good thing had come to a member of my own family. From all I hear, your new position offers fascinating perspectives for development, which you have the imagination fully to use, and the whole locale is an ideal one. We are beginning to lay plans for another expedition to Mt, Sinai. As usual, I regard you as our chief mentor. I hope you do not mind having this role imposed upon you,1 If you do not mind it, 1 should be deeply grateful for your advice. I am taking the liberty of enclosing a copy of a letter which I sent to Porphyrius some weeks ago. My dean had advised me to make clear that the field work would continue to be supported by the University of Michigan under my direction. He felt that otherwise it would be difficult to raise the necessary funds from this University, whose administrators are quite "public relations" conscious, as I suppose they have to be when dealing with public funds. The slanting of the "Time Magazine" article of last April 13 toward Princeton - for which Princeton was in no way responsible - certainly handicapped my efforts to maintain support for the project here. Thus far I have not received an answer to the letter. A delicate problem has to do with how large a gift it would be proper for us to offer to the Monastery this next time. The amount was $500 in 1958 and was supplied by Princeton. Could you offer me any advice on this matter? We would hope to go to the Monastery early in September and to remain there for three months. Is there any possibility of your being in Egypt during that period? If so, we would be overjoyed to have you as the guest of the expedition for as long as possible. This goes for Lola also, needless to say. |