"I wish that I could write more encouragingly, but I cannot”
Two “letters of recommendation” for Paul Radin, written by Alfred Kroeber and Franz Boas. Radin was trained by Boas, and worked briefly with Kroeber at Berkeley.
Apparently, in 1917 he was looking for a new gig in a tight job market:
Kroeber writes: “[Pliny Earle] Goddard writes me that he recently talked with you about [Paul] Radin. My position is this: Radin awakens in me something of the personal repugnance which he seems to arouse in so strong a degree in many others. Somehow I cannot bring myself to have faith in him except in purely intellectual matters or impersonal relationships…. I do object to carrying Radin for a half-starved year or two in a distressing condition, and distressing every one about him, only to have him at the end of this period, drop off from exhaustion. We have nothing permanent for him. If we had a place, I could not recommend him to President Wheeler for it.” (Letter from Alfred Kroeber to Franz Boas, 11 Jan 1917; APS)
Boas responds: “I do not think I can give very good advice in regard to the Radin matter. Personally, I have had so much trouble with him, that I do not want to have any more to do with him. I am quite willing to help him to get opportunity for work so long as I do not need to look after it… I do not share your opinion in regard to his ability. He is a good collector, but absolutely uncritical and without any power of clear thought. His papers on religion and on literary style show that he is always swayed simply by personal sympathies or antipathies, or by personal ambition, but that he is lacking the icy enthusiasm that is necessary for good scientific work…. In my opinion, it is a risky experiment to give him a position which gives him an income which is insufficient for his maintenance. With his complete lack of adaptation to the necessities of life, this will simply lead to all sorts of financial makeshifts that might easily cause difficulties to you. Of course, it is possible that he may have learned something in regard to this matter, but I am not very sanguine. I wish I could write more encouragingly, but I cannot. [Letter from Franz Boas to Alfred Kroeber, 19 Jan 1917; APS]