Miriam Van Waters Papers. Male Prisoner Correspondence, 1927-1971. Correspondence: G, 1965-1970. A-71, folder 597. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

I hope to have my brother Donald look up an old friend of the family so that I may correspond with him. He was, & I believe, still is, a member of the Herpatology Club where I belong.

May God always produce many more of your calibre in a world so much in need of understandment.

God Bless You Always

Richard

5-19-66

Dear Dr Van Waters

Today I received your most welcome letter.

I was suprised to find that you had attended Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

I have a very good friend at this School whom you may know. He is Prof. James Edwards. He teaches several types of study, I am not sure of which he majors in if any one.

I correspond with him & I have mentioned you to him in my last letter but I had not known that you had attended Clark, when I wrote him.

He, like you, has helped me greatly in my study of Botany. Last week I received a text book of Botany intitled "Introductory Botany" by Arthur Cronquist

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1961. I think this is far advanced in many of the fields as expressed in the text I now use, ("Basic Botany) I have the privilage of using this book as long as I wish, so I planon completing its entirety.

I have also received in the mail, the book of "Weeds - Guardians of the Soil", I have told you about in a previous letter. I have only read four chapters but, I have learned much from just that.

In my last letter I enclosed some picture of a few members of my family which I hope you have received. I haven't heard from any one at home for nearly two weeks as they have been quite busy with all the activity of First Communion & others moving & spring cleaning.

I spoke to Father Foley yesterday

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as he visited us here at block nine early this week because of Church activities which will tie him up over the weekend. I forgot to ask him about the two books, so I shall write him prompt. They should have been completed by this date so I should soon have it & will try to return it as soon as possible. I am sure you must have other who would like to read them.

I hope you have seen Judy & Barry Van Deman yesterday (Wednesday) & that both were doingn well. I have not heard from them in reply to my last letter, & for that reason I am not sure that they have received it. In it I sent a medal, for Barry, that was given to me by Cardinal Cushing.

Do you know of any of Barrys and

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his mothers hobies or vocations? If so, perhaps I could get something for them.

Do you have any friend that may be interested in plant life or gardening who would like to have the book I just bought, when I am finished with it. ("Weeds"). I should be glad to give it to somebody that may be interested in having it & I will send it to you to give him or her.

Thank you very much for telling me of your father & yourself. I was very much interested in eharing how you came about your stay in Mass. I can see that you have had a busy life as well as very unselfish from the time you came about.

I once "went" with a girl whos fater was a Lutherian Reverend. I was