Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

If Einstein has with justice been likened to the prophets of
old, Flexnex might equelly well be cumpared to the stern law-giving
patriarchs. Outwzrdly at least peace reigned. After a year in Prfnce-
ton the Einsteins bought e small comfortable hme on Mercer Street, about
a mile from the future hme of the Institute. The tmnspeople gra ac-
customd to seefng him walk to his office in the mornings, ansuerfng
courteously but abstractedly thefs pleased greetings, On occasion, he
was asked to pause and pose for a photograph by some tourist; he did so
graciously without any apparent interruption to his thinking, which ab-
sorbed him always. During the afternoons he uarked in his study at home;
its large window looker! out on his own snd his neighbors' gardens flowing
together in green harmony urmrked by barriers. Aside from occasional
scientific visits; and stmner vacations in Northern Kew York.State, or
Connecticut, or ZOng Island, where i - ~ loved to sail, the physicist trav-
eled little.
Professor Veblen was the natural snd actual lesder of the School
of Mathemtics. He made himself xesponsfble for its business affairs, and
was known to have selected fts faculty mmbcrs, except for Professor Ein-
stein, who was Dr. Flexner's choice. The School faculty aret three or
four times each semester to consider issuing fnvitations to certain work-
ers, to decide upon application& for membership, to allocate individual
stipends from the $30,000 fund wde available by the Trustees each yeas
to the School on Dr. Flexnerts recmrwndation. Veb1en.a colleagues were
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complafsbnt with his control ss long as they got what they needed and
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cauld pursue their m work as they chose. But this was not to oe so
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always, L
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