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Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

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Two days after the meeting, Frankfurter at Harvard wrote the<br />

folloving letter to Dr. Riefler, sending a copy to Flexner.<br />

Ever since I have been on this faculty, <strong>for</strong> now a little over<br />

twenty years, it has been ry practice to tell acquaintances<br />

whose names have come up <strong>for</strong> consideration directly what doubts<br />

or difficulties I mzy have had to rzise in faculty meting.<br />

This avoids misunderstanding through the dangers of misreport,<br />

however'innocent, through indirect transmission. That prac-<br />

tice of candor seems to me to be equally appropriate <strong>for</strong> you<br />

and se in the case of the <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Advanced</strong> <strong>Study</strong>.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e, I should like you to knov that I welcomed your ac-<br />

cession to the <strong>Institute</strong> znd voted <strong>for</strong> it with pleasure and<br />

hope. But I voted against the stipend proposed by Dr. Flexner,<br />

not beczuse it was too high, but beeuse it was higher than<br />

that given to your colleagues in the School of Politics and<br />

Economics. For I deem inequality of treatment among men of<br />

substantially similar age and scholarly distinction as inimical<br />

to the airs of a society of scholars. This is not the occas-<br />

ion to argue the matter; I sirply wanted you to know precisely<br />

what my attitude was towards your coning to the <strong>Institute</strong>,<br />

and to the conditions of your coming.<br />

If you have to leave governtr~ent -- and I wnnot conceal my<br />

regret that you are doing so, in view of my great interest<br />

in a permanent civil service -- I am at least happy that you<br />

are giving yourself to sch0larshi~.5~<br />

Reactions were prompt and .severe. Dr. Riefler vas shocked and'<br />

unhappy. He sought to withdraw from the appointment, and suggested that<br />

Mr. Frankfurter bring the matter be<strong>for</strong>e the Board <strong>for</strong> reconsideration.<br />

He had great respect <strong>for</strong> the lavyer. As <strong>for</strong> Flexner, his anger was now<br />

fully aroused. He vrote Frankfurter declaring that his letter to Rief-<br />

ler was a "piece of unmitigated impertinence;" he was notifying the<br />

Comittee on Nominations that "under no circumstances can they nominate<br />

both me and you <strong>for</strong> re-election. <strong>The</strong>y shall have to choose between us.n56<br />

To Riefler he vrote:<br />

I wish to assure you once more that there is nothing within<br />

reason that we will not do to enable you to fulfill your<br />

own ambitions and to make you and your family happy in this<br />

new enviro~rent.~~

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