Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

any university depart~nt and though this involves a sacrifice
on the part of individuls, it is a sacrifice that at
this stage of our intellectu21 end scholarly development we
must make,. ,
While I am clear in my mind as to this I am equally clear
that as long as you end Veblen snd I are in cmmmnd, ue can
talk about things with the utmost vigor end candor, because
I believe we all hzve at heart the same interests...So please
do net let this caution on n;y part interfere with the frank
exchange of views in the f~ture.~3
This letter was not merely an exercise in sem8ntlcs. It re-
lated to the fact that, as Professor Veblen wrote to Dr. WeyT, though
financial conditions were still bad, the psychological atmosphere uas
hproving, with the effect: that the limitatSon to three major appoint-
aents in the School of Hathemstics was now definitely discarded. There
were to be no junior appointments such s?s essist~nt or zssociste pro-
fessors, and students ta be a&,,itted must have taken their doctoral &-
gree and be acceptable to the professors. The Director, he said, awaited
Br, WeylQ deccislon before taking further action on personnel. Veblen
said that he was thinking of calling in men from American and European
universsties for periods of one or two years, and suggested that "a
possible way of,..getting someone in modern algebrau would be to invite
Artin and Albert to come for a year at the same time, possibly for tbe
next year. Also, Flexner had authorized him to inquire about bringing
Dr. Kurt &del for the next year. Veblen also discussed the site for the
Institute, but said that Fine Hall was very pleasant; he would like to
stay there as long as possible, adding: ''Perhaps we can stay hen
permanently , 34 .
Dr. Flexner apologetically asked Vcblen for a copy of this
letter, explaining that he felt keenly that they should both say the