A Digital Exhibition Credits Veblen's Role in Aiding Displaced Scholars

As American institutions of higher learning come under increasing attack in our country, impacting the careers of many scholars and jeopardizing America's leading role in the sciences and other disciplines, it's useful to step back to a much different time, 92 years ago, when America became a refuge for scholars displaced by oppression elsewhere in the world. Most dramatic was the Nazi purge in 1933 of Jewish scholars from German universities. Up to that point, European universities in Germany and elsewhere had set the standard for academic excellence to which American universities had long aspired. The Nazi purge provided an opportunity to rescue top German scholars from an uncertain fate and to benefit from their brilliance.

A digital exhibition developed by the Institute for Advanced Study confirms Oswald Veblen's central role in this effort, as he envisioned and helped to create the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars. As founding professor at the IAS, Veblen and others at the Institute played a major role in finding positions for displaced scholars, not only at the Institute but throughout the free world.

It is gratifying to see the visionary and organizational capacities of Veblen, here shown with his wife Elizabeth, being recognized.  

Also gratifying is the exhibition's frequent crediting of the Institute staff's role in working out the myriad details involved in bringing displaced scholars to America.

One letter quoted in the digital exhibition, written by Veblen to Simon Flexner in the months after the Nazi purge, shows not only how quickly Veblen reacted to the crisis in Germany, but also his style of gathering opinions from multiple sources in order to develop a best approach.

"Since our conversation in Washington about the problem of what can be done to help the Jews and Liberals who are driven out of their positions in Germany, I have talked with a few of my colleagues here and some others. The idea which seems to receive most favor is that of having a committee for the natural sciences ... to distribute the German scientists who are helped in various countries in such a way as to not cause an undue concentration anywhere but so as to allow them to continue their scientific work."

The Institute's founding in 1930, funded by the Bambergers as a destination for scholars of the highest standing, to be recruited "with no regard whatever to accidents of race, creed, or sex," could not have been more auspicious. In 1933 alone, the work of Veblen and others provided permanent positions for Einstein, Kurt Godel, John von Neumann, and Hermann Weyl.

Thanks to IAS archivist Caitlin Rizzo for bringing this excellent digital exhibition to my attention.

South Terrace of Prospect House Named for Veblen

Remarkable news! The South Terrace of the recently renovated Prospect House at Princeton University has been named in honor of Oswald Veblen. The Terrace is one of twelve spaces within the renowned house that have been named after "a range of individuals who “persevered and excelled” in the face of adversity." 

As stewards of Herrontown Woods, Veblen House and Cottage--all donated by Oswald and Elizabeth Veblen for Princeton's first nature preserve--we feel tremendous pride at hearing of this honoring of Veblen by the University. 

The news release describes Veblen as

"an internationally recognized mathematician who taught at Princeton for 27 years starting in 1905. He played a central role in building Princeton mathematics into a world-renowned department and was instrumental in establishing the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), where he also served on the faculty. Veblen made important contributions to differential geometry and the early development of topology, which found applications in atomic physics and the theory of relativity. He was also known for his humanitarian work during the rise of Nazism in Germany, helping bring Albert Einstein and other top scholars fleeing Hitler’s regime to U.S. academic institutions, including IAS and Princeton."

Veblen's legacy goes beyond what could be packed into the limited space available in a news release. As it happens, another space within Prospect House has been named in honor of Alan Turing, "considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence." Turing's association with Princeton has much to do with Veblen. It was in fact learning of Veblen's profound influence on early computer development, at a 2012 centennial celebration of Turing, that inspired me to continue efforts to save Veblen House. 

Oswald and Elizabeth Veblen left behind a remarkable environmental legacy as well. They founded the open space movement in Princeton, donating Mercer County's first nature preserve in 1957. They acquired their land in the 1930s and '40s, while Oswald was busy convincing the Institute for Advanced Study to acquire 600 acres of land that later became the Institute Woods. 

The news release mentioned Professor of History Beth Lew-Williams, then-chair of the CPUC Committee on Naming, who wrote in the recommendation to the trustees. “When faced with adversity, these Princetonians persevered and excelled in ways that can serve as a model for future generations. We wish to honor these remarkable individuals, whose tenacity helped to shape the University and the world.”

Interestingly, Oswald Veblen did not have a middle name. If he were to be given one retroactively,  Tenacity would be fitting.