Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

sox Einstein is thus a distinct addition to our combfned
resources. I trust that further develownts of the same
character may be possible. If this can be accmplished and
the students in the two institutions can cfrculate freely,
Prf neeton will become a mathemsti cal center greater than
either a£ the institutions which will exist on its soAl,
and the same will be true of other schools ss they are added
to the 1nstitute.59
But even as Flexner wrote this statement, which s e a fn thc
first parsgraph to beg the issue, Professor Veblen spoke directly to
Dr. James W. Alexander, Professor of Mathematics at the University, then
lecturing part-time, ~sking him if he would come to the Institute, Al-
exhnder was a brilliant tapologist, author a£ the Alexander ~ualltp
Theorem, a former graduate student of Veblenkand sometime collaborator
with hLm in mathamtics, They were close persons1 friends; their xap-
port extended to their political views, acsdenic and ideological. Both
herbored feelings of great discontent with the University and its admin-
istration. No secret was mde of Veblen's action, and, in the words of
an outside observer, "the air of intrigue hung thickly over Fine
Dr. Lefschetz, for whose appointment to Princeton Veblen always proudly
took credit, also aspired t o the appofntment. The situation was so
tense that tbe decfsion as between the two men was left to Dean Eisen-
hart, and that turned on which man he would prefer to have in the Pine
professorship. 60
The Exacutive Comnittee met on the 7th of December to author-
ize a £ om1 appointment to Dr. Weyl, and to consider and approve a =-
quest by Dr. Flexner for permission to negotiate ~ 5th Dr, Alexander,
/la'% submit the tern to the Cornittee or the Board for apprmal.
Whether it was decided at this meeting that the lfberal terms of past
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