Report for the academic year - Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

The Institute tor Advanced Stud) was founded in 1930 with a major gift from New
|ersey businessman and philanthropist Louis Bamberger and his sister, Mrs. Felix
Fuld, who wished to use their fortunes to make a significant and lasting contribution
to society. They sought the advice of educator Abraham Flexner, who developed the
concept ot the Institute as a community of scholars whose primary purpose would he
the pursuit ot advanced learning and scholarly exploration. The Institute tor
Advanced Study has sustained its founding principle for seventy years. This commitment
his yielded an unsurpassed record ot definitive scholarship.
The Institute tills a unique role in postgraduate education and scientific and schol-
arly research. As "the university to universities," in the words of Trustee Vartan
Gregorian, the Institute serves all colleges and universities by providing a place
where scholars can hone their skills and do their hest work, thereby adding substan-
tially to their ability to contribute as both teachers and scholars to the academic
institutions where they hase their careers. For young scholars just entering the aca-
demic world, an opportunity to work at the Institute can set the direction for life-
long research interests and thereby determine professional careers. The Institute
provides more mature scholars with the opportunity to take a new direction in their
research or to complete a major piece of work away from the many obligations and
distractions ot working life at a contemporary university. In our era, a time when
pure research and scholarly activities are undervalued, these opportunities are
ex( eedingly rare.
The Institute's foremost objective is the advancement ot knowledge and the deepen-
ing ot understanding across a broad range of the humanities, sciences, and social sci-
ences. Oik o! the Institute's unique strengths is its small and distinguished perma-
nent Faculty, well-established scholars whose broad interests and extensive ties to the
larger academic world are reflected in their own work and also in the guidance and
direction they provide to the Institute's visiting Members. The Faculty defines the
major themes and question- which become the focus of each School's seminar- and
other activities, and the Faculty selects and works closely with visiting Members.
Small in number and organized in tour Schools (Historical Studies, Mathematics.
Natural Niciucs, and Social Science), the Faculty and Members can interact with
other without the departmental and disciplinary barriers found in universities.
ii I he Institute awards fellowship- to L 80 visiting Members In 'in universities
and research institutions throughout the world. The Institute's nearly 5,000 former
Members hold positions oi intellectual and scu'ii titic leadership in the United States
and abroad. More- than a dozen Nobel laureates have been Institute b.ic ull\ or Mem
hers, and many more are winners of the W'olt or Mae Arthur prizes. Twenty nine out
ot forty two Fields Medalists, the Nobel equivalent tor mathematicians, have been
Institute- b.u uli\ and Members.
1 1,, Institute does not uuiu- income from tuition ot tees. Resources tor operations
com< from endowment income, gram- from private foundations and government
agencies, and gilts from corporations and individuals.