Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

Comittee after all. At about the same time as Flexner received St--
art's letter, he had learned from an indig~nt Mr. Bamberger that in
view of what he and Mrs. Fuld considered extravagance in the purchase of
too large a site, they would give no further increments to endowment
the present time" after meeting "present commitments. n68 (See Chapter IV)
It would have been most unlike Flexner to rrake the statement he did to
Riefler without kving first received Mr. 3aniberger's approval. But the
Director's report on Riefler's needs to the Trustees in January, 1936,
indicated that he was taking a most remote view of them. He remarked
that any professor had the right to "cross linesn as between schools,
and continued:
Professor Riefler is beginning to feel the need of mathe-
ratical or statistical help. There is nothing in the set-up
of the Institute which prevents his obtaining £ran mathema-
ticians either at the Institute, Princeton University, Wash-
ington, or elsewhere such.cooperation as he my desire. There
is nothing to prevent his adding to his own small staff a
statistician, if he can find a person whose mathematical train-
ing is sound. The organization of autonomous schools, the
individuals within which can cross any boundary they please.
seems, therefore, as far as I can now see, to offer the best
method for realizing our purposes.69
This marked a retreat on the record, but his hearers could not
have knam either of Flexnerls comnitment to Riefler or the economist's
proposals. If Professor Einstein had difficulties in getting and holding
mathematical assistance, what chance would an economist have to get co- ,,
operativeassistance from men whose devotion to 'puren rrathematics was
complete? But Flexner appeared to believe what be said, and sought and
received confirmation of the appointment of three hmnists authorized
by the Executive Cornnittee at a meeting which left no record except what
Board.
Flexner to~d the 1 (See p. 273