Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

of the Institute depends solely and simply upon men and not
upon accessories of any kind...If we wIl1 bring together nren
'of great ability or gxeat eminence, workers will flock to them
regardless of the way they are housed. We have been csreful
to attach no specific title to gny professor. Thus the free-
d m of an able man is completely guaranteed. On the other
hand, it mst be borne in mind thst, inasmuch as the Institute
for Advanced Study h s no ordinary teaching duties, It is
under no obligation to fill a vacant post. In the event that .
a chair becomes vacant several courses are open:
1 It may be filled in. case there Es a person of
sufficient eminence and the subject itself is
still a living one.
2 The amount expended can revert to the treasury
to be used for any other legitimate purpose...
3 A new professorship in same entirely different
subject can be established, provided a person
of suffici~gt eminence and productivity is
available.
Nor were all the favors on the Universityms side as om consid-
ered the relative gifts to the unique cooperation between the Institute
and the University, Thus he alsa reminded t k Trustees that
We hzve helped the University by bringing to Princeton
a group 05 persons vho possess the gifts, the learning,
snd the time needed to enlarge the advanced opportunities
which Princeton University itself offers. 53
Perbps nothing reveals the extent to which Flexnerts pl~ns wre
shaped by the desires and necessities of the humanists at Princeton Univer-
sity as does his handling of the opportunity t o purchase the Gest Oriental
Library, Mr, G. H. &st, collector and owner of a valuable library of
Chinese classfcs, had offered it for purchase to the Library at Princeton,
which was unable to f fnance it. Mr. James Gerould, the Librarian, then
asked Dr. Flexnerls aid. The Director investigated and found that the
Library of Congress valued the small Gest Collection as second only to