Typed letter signed to Samuel Hayden Church

Carrel, Alexis (1873-1944). Typed letter signed to Samuel Harden Church (1858-1943). 1 page. Rockefeller Institute, New York, 23 March 1914. 279 x 216 mm. Fine.

From Alexis Carrel, the first to succeed at cultivating warm-blooded animal cells in vitro, and the first to successfully transplant blood vessels and organs. He received the 1920 Nobel Prize physiology / medicine for this work, most of which was carried out at the Rockefeller Institute. In the present letter, Carrel informs Samuel H. Church, the secretary (and future president) of the Carnegie Institute, that he will not be able to accept an invitation to speak:

"I feel very much honored by the invitation of the Trustees of the Carnegie Institute to deliver an address on the occasion of the celebration of Founder's Day of the Institute. I regret, however, exceedingly that I shall not be able to be present at the celebration. It happens, unfortunately, that for the next few months, and I find that it is impossible for me to leave New York during that time . . ."