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U of California at Berkeley
quoted June 3 & acknowledged

University of Florida
College of Arts and Sciences
Gainesville

Department of History

June 1, 1958

Mr. Germain Seligman
5 East 57th Street
New York 22, New York

Dear Mr. Seligman:

At last the semester is over and I have completed reading final examinations, attending doctor's orals, reading theses, etc. This has been a particularly haevy academic year as I may have suggestee in a recent letter. It has left me practically no time for writing and research and has even prevented me from keeping up with my correspondence. For the next ten days I shall be arranging my affairs and packing for the trip to California but I wanted to send you at least a word in reply to your last letter.

The major news is that I have been awarded a Faculty Research Grant from the Social Science Research Council to devote all my time to my study of the artists during the French Revolution. The University of Florida Graduate Council also awarded me a similar grant for the same purpose. Although I could not accept both awards the Graduate Council has provided me with ample supplementary funds so that I shall be able to devote all of the next twelve months to research and writing. Although I shall be relieved of all teaching and administrative duties I shall continue as a regular member of the University faculty assigned to research. At last I have the opportunity to concentrate on completing the David monograph and the book on the artists of the Revolution.

We shall make our headquarters in San Francisco for a number of reasons. Besides the personal ones the enormous research facilities available at the University of California just accross [[across]] the Bay where I shall have an office in the University Library, and down the Peninsula at Stanford University and at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behaviorial [[Behavioral]] Sciences where they have shown an interest in my project have been conclusive. Most of all I find it much more stimulating for writing in San Francisco and Menlo Park where my father in law has a country place a short distance from the Stanford campus than anywhere else I know of. Pageant-Master was written there in the courses of a summer. If I were to go to France I would continue to do additional research instead of writing the first draft of the books. The principal task is to sort out, [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] select from and arrange material from the enormous mass of notes, microfilms, photographs I have been gathering for so many years.

I am afraid that I shall not be able to come to New York for the history meetings or visits during the coming year but I shall look forward to hearing from you. Please accept my warm regards and give my best wishes to Mrs. Seligman.

Cordially yours,
David L. Dowd
David L. Dowd

P.S. The "Triomphe de Peuple" drawings (including those at the Louvre and Carnavalet) [[strikethrough]] wer [[/strikethrough]] are so far as I know [[strikethrough]] know [[/strikethrough]] the only vestiges of an opera curtain which, if it were ever executed, has disappeared.

[[right margin]] Dowd Florida [[/right margin]]