Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

Why did they tzke the sction which Mr. Bamberger announced to
Flgxner at the end of October, 19351 How long would they refrain from
giving to the Institute for its development? CoulC the Trustees anti-
cipate that other philanthropists interested in the cultural growth of
the country, and the advancemnt of its scholarship,'would feel moved to
step into the breach? Could the current endmnt, by skilful1 mznage-
aent, be increased as the country emerged frmi the great depression?
To the first question the answer appears to be that the Found-
ers were piqued by the action of the C mittee on Buildings and Grounds
in recomndfng the purchase of what they considered an inordfnately
Large acreage far the Institute's site. That does not explain the matter
fully, however; they seemed to be alieneted more by the fact that they
were not consulted before the Trustees were zsked to vote on a larger
land program than they had previously approved. As to the second ques-
tion, the record will show that the affair might have been smoothed over,
were it not that f urthes actions contributed to the5~ disillusionment.
For Ms. Ba&erger*s starerrrent was in terms of -for the present," and not
final,
The third question Flexnes could have answered -- and did --
from his wealth of experience with phflanthrcrpista. Hen do not ccme
forward usually to contribute to an institution to which another has
given hi^ m. This was the point of his earlier suggestfon that the
~rojected mll university be named after the State of New Jersey, But
Flexner dld not forsake hope, as the shadows at the Institute deepened,
that the Rockefeller Foundation might contribute substantially t o its
endent despite the basic change In Rockefeller policy adopted by the
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