Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

As the proposal for the first building site for the Institute
an the golf club house site continued to receive the cereful attention
of President Dodds, Professor Veblen found the School's position in Fine
Hsll ever more untenable. Kumbers of members and grsduate students both
semed to increase as the prestige of Princeton, mathe~tical center of
the United States and perbps of the world, continued to grow. Veblen
continued to urge Flexner to supply a building for the School centiguous
or zdjzcant to Ffne Hall, and Flexner repeated his time-warn answer --
lack of funds. But he did propose a solution: she School should limit
the nucber of merbers by insisting on higher qualifications in those ad-
titted, This Veblen declined to consider, raintaining that the brilliance
snd prestige of the Institute's visitors attracted members in numbers
uhich he seemed to reg~rd as inevitable as the waves of the ocean. Nor
did he favor Flexner's suggestion that any overflow muld have studies at
20 Nassau Street. Plans for converting the Lnfimry, end, Indeed, for
using part of the baserr~nt in Fine. Hall fox studies, were considered and
rejected. Flexntr sympathizad uith Veblen" discomfort, and never alluded
to the actions which had brought the Institute to fts present pass; he
gas on record with the Board and with Veblen himself as favoring separate
and adjoining space for the School.
Heanwhile some of the Trustees, faced with the prospect of mat-
ing do with limited funds, asked Professor Yeblen whether his School was
not admitttrig too many members. Veblen was quoted as replying in a manner
which mst have atartled the Director:
... the economic and poLitical conditions in the world had
doubtless acceleratedkhe ~chool'd growth,. .@s belief
wad that the numbers in the School of Hathematics were