Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

a delay in action. The Board could readily appreciate its magnitude,
and authorized the Director to travel here and,abroad to secure advice.
Because he might not return before the date of the first annual meet-
ing, scheduled for April, it was egreed to postpone the meeting. In
the event,it was not held at all, for when he -me back from Europe at
the end of Mcy, Flexner w2.s not ready to report.
Before going abroad, the Director visited ~ sious men at the
Hopkins, Princeton, Parvasd, Yale, ColmhEa, and Chicago during January
and Februzry. l-k discussed economics with Justices Holmes and Brandefs,
history with authorities ~;t the Library of Congress, and talked vith
some of his old friends at Brookings. We wrote the Founders and Mr.
&ass that his welcome was warm everywhere, and that the idea of the
Institute was enthusiastically received, 5
The thing most on his mind, however, was brought up by Dr.
Aydelotte in e. letter shortly after his return. The writer had visited
Mr. Bamberger and Mrs. FuLd recently, and reported:
They had it very much in mind that their place in South
Orange should be used for the Institute buildings. X re-
peated my suggestion that a larger tract of Land was desir-
able, and had the feeling that they might eventually c m
to realize this, especially if things do net move too fast. 6
'
Flexner's reply was revealing in its obliquity:
X am glad you touched on the subject of site vith Hfr B m
berger. I have myself not d m it because I have not yet
let my mind play on that aspect of our problem, but I share
your viws, though I think it best not to quote - .I donut
want to divert my attention to site and buildings whlle I
am seeking ro clarify my ideas. (Emphasis- h~s37
But with HL, &ass he was quite candid: