The role of scientific institutes in American education

Until recent years, the traditional pattern of American graduate schools has been frozen along divisional and departmental lines. Natural cleavages have developed from this pattern which are far more serious than good‐natured interprofessional rivalry. The old saw that the chemical Tweedle‐Dees make very inaccurate measurements on very pure substances while their physical twins are merely mirror images, although amusing, nevertheless contains some very arresting truth. The fact of the matter is that the departmental scheme is not in itself adequate to cope with the myriad problems of modern organized research. In these days of increasing cost and complexity, the continued leadership of our universities in fundamental research requires a reconsideration of policy by our graduate schools.

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