Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

young n-mnber f xom Prague. He notified the rathemtics faculty in Dec-
ber, 1936, that he wanted Dr. Bergmann to assist him during the next year.
Professor Veblen failed to ask Dr. Flexner to budget the expense, and the 1
School declined to allocate a stipend to Dr. Bergmznn for 1937-1938. Prfessor
Einstein would a~ain be without an assistant. He appealed to Dr.
Flexner, who told hirr. he could have any assistant he chose. Though Professcr
Veblen rmonstrated vigorously Flexner stood firm, and Bergmann
was given a stipend in 1937-1938 and an essistantus salary therehfter for
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several years. The School did not lack the funds at the time; the stipend
could have been paid without dif f icultg,laO
This u ~s not the end of the pettiness exhibited toward Dr. Ein-
stein at this tine. Dr. Leopold hfeld, an accomplished Polish fithemati-
cal physicist, worked with Einstein during 1936-1937 on his papers in mi-
fied field theory, receiving less t bn hlf of the regular grant. In i
February, 1937, Dr. Einstein told his colleagues that the same grant should
be provided for Dr. Infeld for 1937-1938, as they were engaged in sesloua
research. The $600 was not allocated. The Professor attended the next
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meeting ef the School to make a special appeal.' But he returned defeated,
to say, as Infeld reported it: f
1 tried my best, 3 told them how good you are, and that ve
are doing itportant scientffic work together. But they ar-
gued that they don* t h ve enough &oney,..I don't how how
far their arguments are true. I used very strong words
which 1: have never used before. I told them that in my opin-
ion they were doing an unjust thing...
Not one of them helped me- 101
fnfeld describes his desperation; he could not return to Poland,
and had no appointment in sight here. The work was intensely interesting
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