Part 2 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

It is hard to imgine that a group of sophisticated and cultured sc5olars j
would be blind to the amenities due a guest, or so remote from humane
values as to make a vfsitur feel unwelcome; it is even nore difficult t o
believe that they sought to in£ luence the Director by neglecting his ap-
pointee, though of course, the professors were free to do as they pleased.
With improving f inancia1 prospects, it was natural that' the
Schools should begin to consider the appointment of younger men to suc-
ceed those who were retiring. The School of !%thematics hsd toward the
end of 1948 five active professors; the School of Historical Stodses had
seven. fn the first, two would be gone by July, 1951: Professor WeyE
by retirement; Professor Siege1 by resignation ta Germany. In the second,
two were to he gone by July,1950: Professor Stewart through retirenent
and Professor Wamen by death in March, 1950. At this time the School of
Hathematics added another young mathematfcian, a Norwegian, Atfe Selberg,
a specialist in number theory, who had been a me~~ber (1947-1948) and was
now.about to take a permanent position elsewhere. The School agreed he
would be an admirable additton, but there was a quiet debate as to whether
he should be inducted
as a permanent rnem5ex with a tax-fxee stipend of about
$9,006 in a status like that of Dr. Montqmery, or as a
Faculty member with a taxable silary of $15,000. Pso-
fessor Veblen tentatively suggested the latter, Dr. Op-
penheimtr equally tentatively the fanner.
On the 9th November the School unanimously recornended Selbesg'a appoint-
ment on the same basis as Montgmeryms. The Faculty and the Board
agreed. 47 11 looked mare and more at though the flexibility which Dr.
Aydelatte had so hoped for was at hand.