BASIC RESEARCH AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY 



hurdle to reach good ground, where steady, forthright, progress 

 can be undertaken, will be encountered within the next few 

 years or decades. Once beyond these, it seems to me that we 

 will be on a plateau where the problems we shall come upon, 

 as a species inhabiting a fairly friendly planet, will not seem 

 much greater than those we have as a result of the develop- 

 ment of tractors and trains. If surviving through to our plateau 

 is not a cause worth working for, I don't know of one that is. 

 It is for us, then, to make the challenge clear. 



o 



I have a phrase that has stuck in my mind for some years 

 now, and I have forgotten its author, but it goes something 

 like this: 



We who are living today are characters in a legend, an in- 

 credible, hell-shot legend, but nevertheless a legend; the greatest 

 ever told, for either we are on the verge of damnation or the con- 

 ferring upon us of divine honors. Which it shall be, only the 

 destinies know. 



At the present time, man controls his destiny, within 

 limits, and I am convinced we are capable of controlling it even 

 more intensively to build a better life for all mankind. 



My assignment today, however, as I see it, is not to discuss 

 man's ultimate destiny, but rather to outline some of my ideas 

 as to how the cause of basic research can be furthered, particu- 

 larly with the state universities in mind. I think we can all 

 agree that the amount of research we now do is a small part of 

 the amount we could do before reaching the point of diminish- 

 ing returns. I think we all agree that the growth of research 

 will be approaching exponential during the coming years, and 

 that we must take some time to consider such practical things 

 as where are we going to put the laboratories and how are we 

 going to pay the people. Harold Taylor recently said that 

 money is what college presidents talk about, while business- 



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