Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

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and discontent among scholars. Vainly he urged his policy on the Di- rector with cogent argurrents based on his academic experience. Flexner dismissed both by saying that everything being presently done at the Institute was "experimental," and therefore subject to change. The lawyer argued that in the reantire harm would be done. Moreover, be did not want to hear anything more for some time about the German universities; they had not offered effective and courageous opposition to Hitler's depredations, possibly because of the effects cf the individual bargcining to which the professors had been subjected. The Director lapsed into hyperbole: the Institute was "a paradise for scholars," who really did not care for money, but only for the search for truth. 36 This touched off an explosion. Frankfurter, exasperated, re- plied that he did not think it very helpful to take too seriously the exuberant rhetoric of thinking of the Institute as a 'paradise for scholars.' For one thing, the natural history of paradise is none too encouraging as a precedent. Apparently it was an excellent place for one person, but it was fatal even for two -- or at least for two when the snake entered, and the snake seems to be an early and congenial companion of man. Really, figures of speech are among the most fertile sources of intellectual confusion. Let's try to aim at something hman, for we are dealing with humans and not with angels. I do not know by what right you may hope for a ccmbination of greater disinterestness and capacity than, say, the Harvard Law School is able to attract, or, let m say, than is now found in the Supreme Court...I can assure you that neither of these institutions could be conducted on the assumption that it is s paradise. In both personal inter- actions play an important part; in both personal sensitive- ness has not been wanting because of. personal differentia- " tions. Temporary grants-in-aid were not to be compared with salarg rates for permanent staff; he added:
f need not repeat the grounds of my objection. But I may say that such a society as I envissge precludes an administrator who plays Lady Bountiful or, to keep my sex straight, Kris Kringle .... The Institute's concern is so to fix salaries as to enable a man to live as a civilized gentleman in a world in vhich the family is the ordinary social unit. You seem to Ge to have a little bit too much of the administrator's confidence in assuming (a) that you can spot the man 'who is trying to make a good bargain,' or (b) that you could plan the life of a ran vho is too shy or too proud to enter into the realm of bargaining. And if you'll forgive me fcr saying so, you also have a little bit of the optimism of the idministrator who thinks his scheme 'works perfectly* because evils have not yet disclosed themselves, and partic- ularly have not been disclosed to him. Frm ill of which YOU will gather that I feel very strongly about this. It is only one aspect of my conviction that a society of scholars implies a democratic aristocracy like unto the self-gove-nt by vhich say, Balliol is conducted. This implies impersonal equality znd self-govemnt by the group. Those are the aims tc vhich I am cmitted. I vrite this frankly because you ray think that, holding these views, I m y not be a very useful member for your Board. If so, I'd better get off before I am on. In putting this to you, I am quite ivpersonal. It has nothing to do with our personal relations, and they would remain v:hat they vere before, were you to tell me that perhaps it is just as well tbt I resign before I become active. 35 The Director did not reply in the heat of his first reaction. Re vas a proud man, and sensitive as only a sentirental person.can be. He consulted Dr. Aydelotte before ansvering. Then it was apparent that the sarcasm had found its mark; he reproved Frankfurter for his "blunt- ness." He had never attended a Board meting at vhich some reference to Gemn universities was not made, and probably never would. His "exuberant rhetoric" vas merely a manner of speaking colorfully; men now and then engaged in such flights. He did not regard himself as an administrator; he vas fully capable of directing the Institute. He gave not an inch and concluded with perfunctory politesse and thehope that "ve may continue to enjoy the benefits of your co-operation and experience
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A HISTORY OF TEE INSTITUTE POR ADVA
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TmLE OF CONTESTS INTRODUCTION . . .
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1 \ -c. --- ft 5s safe to 52)- that
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ot;-tervise would have b ~en lackin
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medical school. Such a school, he s
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them to abandon their intention to
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in the "plans already in effect.* N
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2. B. Grznting only the Doctor's an
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men of the nost distinguished stand
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Frank Aydelotte of Swarthmore Colle
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to purckse, retaining the right to
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Board of Directors approved the pur
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man whose warm hwn qualities, wisdo
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Th9 third phase began with the Rode
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dominant classical tradition of the
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the United States and Canada. He ac
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expenditure of sorething like $500
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in dominating spirit znd interest t
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for college graduates, reseerch ins
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quality to hirrself. ft was a susta
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ment," without explanation. Dr. Fle
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November, 1930, creating enew the s
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easonable certainties they have lea
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third-year college stu&nt in thls c
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John C. French, A History of the Un
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men vith which he charged a few Eas
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tions in the hope that better days
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What could be expected, if a modern
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He wrote: I am sending you kere-uft
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worthy of your beneficent idealism.
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sible for the eonduct of the businm
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the intent to train and guide stude
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emitted as trustees give promise...
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criticize freely in whole or in par
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Mr. Roughton was an elder statesran
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even in America. Fs pledged hinelf
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the number to the fifteen provided
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Mr. Barnbergex's proposal gave the
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Vice-himn was provided for, The Boa
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CHAPTER fX - NOTES 1. Goodspeed, op
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Re shall, after conference with t k
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CHAfTER I11 PLAPriING TEE ESTITUTE
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in research, whereas, la projecting
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a delay in action. The Board could
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I have finished the second draft of
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Universities, being prirrarily inte
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\ . science; the school of economic
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merh~rs of the Institute, and perso
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applied science, and progress in ph
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it right be decided that schools in
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had all too ilttle of it. He had be
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as a location; the mjority advised
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Meanwhile, in Jznuary 1932, the Dir
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Institute were not required to teac
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and the natural sciences. 26 Suqris
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+ this cen chosen were drzwn togeth
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and laborious in a university, 35 D
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Director on a par with the Institut
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, furter, though still agreeing uit
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I am firmly convinced that the absu
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of the University had it held itsel
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Foundation for Scientific Research,
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18. Minutes, Trusteesr meeting, 1/1
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CHAmm IT TEE SCHOOL OF HAIkXWTfCS T
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fields of rwtherratics and its eppl
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\\ \ based on the lot of the young
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one man was only a "nu~leus,~ vhile
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they would meet zt Oxford Universit
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Cruel indecision now assailed Birkh
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destined in their judgment "to hit
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California Institute of Technology'
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wbtsoever. As for himelf, he looked
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confidentially ex2ressed misgivings
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hononed him, Dr. Einstein first vis
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of the story, and photographs of Ei
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My point was not that you were raki
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uri tteri: The first problen! of co
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sam thing to Dr. Weyl, plagued as h
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sox Einstein is thus a distinct add
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Unfortunately, Veblen used Flexnerl
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over the "transferm of the three me
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feared Veblents diqleasure should h
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Professor Veblen bore in the Founde
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either a full and permanent member
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deciding who should be admitted, su
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This was written when Veblen though
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protect the Institute in deciding n
Page 178 and 179: Then came the French Consul to offe
Page 180 and 181: ideological extremes in Germany had
Page 182 and 183: pointed on a rainy Manhattan dock w
Page 184 and 185: in routing the correspondence. He c
Page 186 and 187: Professor Veblen was one who had be
Page 188 and 189: young n-mnber f xom Prague. He noti
Page 190 and 191: -- '\ Ih you how why Einstein said
Page 192 and 193: Oxford, he should seek to reopen ne
Page 194 and 195: Alexander bve talked to re about Ho
Page 196 and 197: enthusiasm, ability, and nm.bers fa
Page 198 and 199: mar, of the joirit cnmittee of trrr
Page 200 and 201: He estimated it would cost $3,000 t
Page 202 and 203: 61. Flexner to Veblen, 12/9/32; 12/
Page 204 and 205: 97. Plewser to bass, 2/19/34. Jesse
Page 206 and 207: CHAPTER V TEZE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
Page 208 and 209: those of the Vice-president beceae
Page 210 and 211: about durq educaticnal directors. T
Page 212 and 213: While Stewart mistrusted apoliticia
Page 214 and 215: wanted, it was of the economist, an
Page 216 and 217: ecause of his liberal policies, a d
Page 218 and 219: was goins to London to become '.onm
Page 220 and 221: were to be asserted in a series of
Page 222 and 223: No, I don't expect to be wholly a d
Page 224 and 225: friend of the Director since 1928.
Page 226 and 227: that neither he nor the Trustees wo
Page 230 and 231: as a member of the Board. 36 Hr. Fr
Page 232 and 233: and the luxury of agreeing with him
Page 234 and 235: onic point of view but from an hist
Page 236 and 237: When Mr. Maass received the minutes
Page 238 and 239: attitude on the acceptability of Ma
Page 240 and 241: consider itself as a location but r
Page 242 and 243: Dr. Flexner "quoted scripturem to e
Page 244 and 245: Unfortunately, this was a cmitment
Page 246 and 247: Dr. Flemer had kept President Dodds
Page 248 and 249: &re at last vas the kind of program
Page 250 and 251: He may have been hoping to secure f
Page 252 and 253: eceived, and of one "unethusiastic"
Page 254 and 255: ultiaately a budget of $100,000 a y
Page 256 and 257: But the beginning of September was
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Page 260 and 261: of discontent for Flexner, though t
Page 262 and 263: egarded work of his career before h
Page 264 and 265: CHAPTER V - NOTES 1. Interview with
Page 266 and 267: 37. Simon Flexner to Bernard Flexne
Page 268 and 269: 71. Riefler to Flexner, 3/13/36. Ay
Page 270 and 271: country for classical hwnistic stud
Page 272 and 273: notions formed on the basis of defe
Page 274 and 275: mising.> His great vzlue to Fleer w
Page 276 and 277: lish nev objectives, say, in kerica
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In its tone this was less an outlin
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\ '. -\ would be imnaterial, provid
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Princeton: - The cooperation.. .fie
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eplied that he saw little llklihood
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and the burranities was clear. As h
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and unhealthful. He wanted to retur
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term of the concession (1937-19431,
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Princeton. At that p~ss Flexner ste
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too old to accumulate them at Teach
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sorPanofsky was at McCarmick H all,
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concessions to the De~rtment as did
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In 1936, he decided ta seek a lump
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Apparently the Director decided tha
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and after the most careful scrutiny
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of the Institute depends solely and
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to be such .that studies.. .will be
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CHASTER Vf - Notes I. Fosdick, op.
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34. Vekien to Flexner, 11/5/36. Fle
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CWTER VIf TOO MANY GENERALS The est
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General Education Board in 1925 to
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and how helpful I am sure he is goi
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order of business only a brief stet
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. of the Trustees concurred. They k
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From the time of his conversation w
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-317- with rrembers on behalf of th
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sites. Flexner'a reply was courteou
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near the apposite University depart
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The experiment of cooperating with
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On the same day he wrote to Mr. Bam
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was out of the question. To complet
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As the proposal for the first build
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mathematic stipends w wld better be
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than it was uorth, and the Universi
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joint basis. The Departrrrent agree
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outine matter..,The vzrious univers
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and inviting then, since he ves the
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professors in the School of Mathema
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were faculties entirely self-govern
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sthndards he discussed with Profess
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The Director did not consult the fa
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one group for the trustees, the oth
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continue to suggest the names of li
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the conferences ended as Professors
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k t US get our minds so full of the
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leased. The Institute would advznce
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to protect funds from the faculty,
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6. Maass to Flexner, 7J10/33. 7. In
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46, Flexner to Peblen, 12/4/36. 47.
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84. Minutes, Trustees' meeting, 1/2
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