Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

cowardice, met John Haynard Keynes in England during the first year of
the.nev Adminstration and became converted to Keynes' conviction that
if private spending did not support the economy, public, even deficit,
spending must. It vas some time before the Administration was forced
to adopt the policy, though Frenkfurter did what he could to see that
President Roosevelt had the opportunity to meet Keynes and study his
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theories.
Frankfurter spent his first year as Trustee of the Institute
at Oxford as George Eastmn Professor, thznks to Aydelotte and Flexner.
His absence from the country was to prove disastrous in his relations
vith the Director. Frankfurter's energetic attack on atters which
engaged his special interest, his quick wit unrestrained by concern for
the target, and after his election as Trustee his suddenly manifested
impatience vith Flexner's somevhat labored hwar, had clouded relations
even before he left for England in the smer of 1933. Flexner learned
that a certain kind of playfulness was not helpful invriting to the
new Trustee. Nor was his tendency to resort to hyperbole when he found
himself unwilling or unable to disclose his position fully. It simply
provoked the lavyer to deadly riposte which silenced intercourse. In-
deed, Flexner had occasion to note that vith his election to the Board
Frankfurter's attitude changed. Thus as soon as he received notice of
his election, he chided himself for his "thoughtlessness" about his
comnitment to Oxford, and again deplored "duamy" mewhership on education-
al boards. Flexner, in high good humor, replied that his situation was
understood when he vas elected, and that he wouldn't characterize being
Eastman Professor as being a "dummy." Frankfurter replied stiffly: