Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

part of the School of Matheumtics* staff, which was the source of 6- if
not most of the bitterness, Flexner, proud of the School, loyal to Veb-
len for making a success of It, could not and would not believe in the
seriousness of such canard.
Nevertheless, it might be conceded that vhen it cam to =king
it u? to the University, Plermer was generous and, though he was pressured
by Morey's attitude, grateful for the art-historian% support in establish-
ing the School of Humnis'tie Studies. Certain it is that he was deeply
impressed -- unduly impressed, perhaps -- by the two strong men in the
academic life of the Znstitute in those ezrly days. But vithout them he
night not have succeeded as he did,
In organizing the School of Humanistic Studies the Director was
particularly insistent thzt the Board should recognize, the experimental
nature of everything whlch hsd been done, the flexibility whrch it mu~t
always preserve ta change the fields of activity, as %en and moneyR
might become available, or m-bers of the present faculty retire or die.
Thus he refused to estzbl ish "chairs" which must be f f lled when they be-
cane vacant, whether ox not them was sn outstanding man to call, or'
whether smthing new which did permit the appointment of an outstanding
scholar or scientist gavz greater promise. Here he alluded agafr-to the
example of the ~oll&e de Prance. When he appointed three out of five
humanfsts who were within eleven years of the retirement age, wfth the
announced purpose of enabling them te finish writing tkfr records for
posterity, he manifestly had to refresh these most important principles
in the minds of the Trustees, Fie did it fn the foll~ing:
f hope that we shall never foxget the truth of what our first
years have abundantly demonstrated: namely, that the success