Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

But the beginning of September was to see signsof his bitter unhappi-
ness, and indications that he was planning to leave the Institute. Then
Mr. Stewart, who was still considering Dr. Flexner's open offer to join
the faculty, and whose desire was apparently to keep Professor Riefler
there without allowing the program of work and the kind of personnel
recruited to become set in a direction he did not like, suggested to
the ~irector that a single colleague be appointed who should be was
nearly as possible his ~Eieflerl~i equal.n Plemer consulted Mr. Leides-
dorf and learned that money was in hand.75 But the step was not taken.
What happened?
Let Professor Riefler say in his own words, which appear in a
memorandum to Dr. Aydelotte in ~ec&er, 1939, just after the Swartbore
President had succeeded Dr. Flexner, and was seeking knowledge of what
was going on at the Institute. With the following staterent Riefler
sent copies of his memorandums to Flexner of October, 1935, the 13th
Hzrch, 1936, and of the 26th September, 1936:
My own activities since.. .~Fhe memorandum of ~e~temberi have
been wholly devoted to carrying out the objectives &rein
set forth. My procedures, of course, have been flexible and
adapted to what was feasible.
In the spring of 1936 Dr. Flexner did not feel that the Sn-
stitute was in a position to proceed imnediately., either with
the additional appointments reccrmnended...or with the program
of financial research on the scale envisioned. Instead, he
sent r e abroad to improve my contacts with foreign economists
and to gain first-hand experience with certain aspects of
international financial problems.
On the day of my return, however, there mme an opportunity
to further the research program I had in mind in tbe form
of a telegram £ran .To'seph Uillitts ...L; skin3 me to attend a
conference of leading bankers and economists to explore the
possibility of inaugurating a more comprehensive attack on
financial problems through a program of research. As a