Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

heterogeneous comnity such as Chicago, New York or Philadelphia. But
since these were foreclosed by the *deed of gift," he suggested that
Washington, belonging as ft did to the forty-eight states, might properly
be considered an extension of New Jersey. There, he thought, the Insti-
tute night be one of a number of separate autonwaus groups Like the
colleges at Oxford and Cambridge; others mig1.t be es~tiblished by other
donors, while the Srithsonian and National Academy callections and the
Congressional Library would offer their resources. He felt that Congress
might even provide money for the buildings of the Institute. 38
Dr. George D. Birkhoff of the &thematics Department at Har-
vard, while transmitting his ckirmsnqs suggestion that the Institute
could do worse thsn come to Cambxidge, and having himself given swre
thought to Washington, settled firmly on Princeton as the most deslrsble
locatSon beczuse of the distinguished department of atathemstics there. 39
The govemnt oI the Institute's academic affairs engaged the
attention of severzl advfsers. Dr. Veblen believed that the faculty
should govern the fnstftute, even if it were hard to bring about, 05
the advantages he wrote: c:
:
Faculty gwemnt is very conservative. Each suggested
change runs into interminable discussions, delay, whittl-
I
\
ing dm, and empromise. But in the meantime most of tbe
faculty go on with their work without the fear that gome
outsfder w ill upset everything for them overnight, Con-
servatism in a university Is, f think, desirable in and of
itself....
A good deal of the trouble is due, Z think, to our form of
organization, which puts the legal power in the hands of
trustees and rhe actual power in those of a President,and
his administrative staff , and the professf owl al-1.a
Flexner quickly replied that his intention was to place the
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