Dear Mr. Tygar:

Selection of a new faculty member is a serious process. You can therefore imagine how surprised I was by the tone of one of your recommendation letters. I have enclosed a copy of this document. While a sense of humor is not completely undesirable, there are times when jokes are clearly inappropriate. I should not need to remind you that there are many candidates for this job who will take it seriously. I suggest you talk with this Dr. Scheffer; if we receive a serious recommendation from him we may restore your name to the list of candidates for our faculty position. Until then we regard your candidacy with the same seriousness as you regard our recommendation process.

                        Yours truly,

 
                        Chairman, Faculty Selection Committee

P.S. The only bright point in this whole dismal affair is that after we posted this letter on the department bulletin board, a group of undergraduates wrote Dr. Scheffer for permission to publish the letter in their yearbook. If he replies in the affirmative, your name will become the laughingstock it deserves to be.