Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

1 L 1
keeping both sides informed of the thinking and planning of the other.
It Is difficult to escape the conclusion that sotwone either
at the University or the Institute risled the naive physicist. Certainly
it would s ea that the conversations Schroedfrger referred to as designed
to reassure him about transferring his fortunes to this country must have
conce-d the prospect of being called by the University, which was paying
hiir $1,000 z month a d his traveling expenses for the visit. One can be
. quite sure that Dr. kidenburg would not k ve defeated tk Un5versity9s
plens. In any event, there wasa role here for constructive help in set-
ting the foreigner right about the posstbility of the Institute granting
an excess pension; Professor Veblan at least must have known of the de-
cision to abandon the practice.
Perhaps some light is shed by the fact that at the end of the
spring semester in 1934, Professor Veblen was urging the Director to
offer an eppointment to Dr. Masston Morse, who wished to leave Rarvard
and come to the Institute. Dr. Flexner was in favor of Dr. Horse9s aces-
sion, but told Professor Veblen that h could da nothing during the
vacation period; the mattes would have to await the fall, when it vould
be possible to get either the Executive Camnittee or the Board together
to authorize action. This reasoning, together with the fact that the
Director was spending the s~xrxwr fn England, did not deter the Professor,
who continued to press for action. Then Flexner complained of a lack of
consistency:
When we invite a man, it ought to be first on the formal-
recotmrrndation of the group iy.e., of the School faculty/ and
second, after the matter has been laid before ttLe Board, the
authority and interest of which 1 greatly desire to strengthen.
At the mament.,.,ny hands are tied, sfnce though you and