Correspondence dated 31 March 1970 from Aziz Atiya to Catherine Myron Smith.

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Z*> J ?/ March 31, 1970 Mrs. Catherine Myron Smith 1789 Lanier Place, Northwest WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009 My dear Catherine: It is unnecessary for me to tell you how grieved my wife and I were to learn the sad news of your bereavement only too late from our mutual friend Dee. I was myself in the hospital for surgery when she had called us by phone at home to get no response. It was not until a late date that we became accidentally aware of her call from another friend whom she con­tacted to enquire about the cause of our silence. All this will help to explain the tardy nature of this letter of deep sympathy for the irreparable loss of a great friend. As Dee may have told you already, my first concern was to ask about the fate of his Islamic Archives, library and scholarly collection which must stand as a permanent monument for his life and learning. If Dee were well informed when she told me that this did not enter into Myron's last will and testament, then I hold it my friendly duty to offer my help in trying to save that collection and to see to it that it gets a good home where it will be honored and bear his name forever without neglecting your own material interest in the picture. But to do this, I must initially receive your written assurance and authorization for me to proceed with the labor of the exploration of the possibilities through all avenues. Of course this Is a tentative project and we shall have to wait upon events to see the outcome of my efforts after hearing from you. All I can say at present is that I am eager to serve the memory of a great friend and to watch over your own interest in the meantime. If my thoughts appeal to you, I shall need copies of memos about the Islamic Archives and all possible listings of the contents of the library to enable me to handle this important matter with whatever auth-orties on a practical basis in the hope of securing a fair offer and report to you in due course. <