QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CAREERS AND BACKGROUNDS WERE POSED TO 10,000 DOCTORATE HOLDERS WHO HAD GRADUATED FROM UNITED STATES UNIVERSITIES IN 1935, 1940, 1950, 1955, AND 1960. THE SAMPLE ITSELF WAS STRATIFIED SO THAT THE MAJOR EMPHASIS WAS ON THE HEALTH RELATED SCIENCES. THE QUESTIONNAIRES REQUESTED INFORMATION ON PRESENT EMPLOYMENT, JOBS PREVIOUSLY HELD, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND MIGRATIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, EARNINGS, AND FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND. SOME OF THE FINDINGS REPORTED ARE--(1) MOST RESPONDENTS WORK, OR HAVE WORKED, AT COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES, (2) THE PERCENTAGE OF DOCTORATE HOLDERS ENGAGED IN RESEARCH HAS, AND STILL IS, INCREASING, BUT ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE IS EXCLUSIVELY ENGAGED IN RESEARCH, (3) WORKING WIVES AND THE GOVERNMENT ARE PROVIDING MORE AND MORE SUPPORT FOR PREDOCTORAL EDUCATION, (4) POST-DOCTORAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT HAS INCREASED, WHILE FOUNDATION SUPPORT HAS DECREASED, (5) GEOGRAPHIC MIGRATION OF WOMEN PH.D.'S IS A FUNCTION OF THEIR MARITAL STATUS, (6) SALARY LEVELS HAVE BEEN ADVANCING STEADILY, AND (7) THE MIDWEST HAS PRODUCED 40 PERCENT OF THE DOCTORATE HOLDERS BUT EMPLOYS ONLY 25 PERCENT OF THEM. SALARY LEVELS HAVE STEADILY ADVANCED WITH EACH NEW GENERATION STARTING AT A HIGHER LEVEL. THIS DOCUMENT IS A NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES PUBLICATION 1293, CAREER PATTERNS REPORT NO. 1. (SK)