LEE A. DUBRIDGE 



maximum service to the community and to the nation. Thus, at 

 the same time that cosmic-ray research was begun in 1921, 

 there was also initiated a program of research on the problems 

 of high-voltage transmission of electric power. Structural or- 

 ganic chemistry and aeronautical engineering came along next. 

 Later, genetics and jet propulsion — and so on. 



Just at this point Caltech and many other institutions 

 face a serious choice. How "pure" can the research program 

 as a whole be and still command community and public sup- 

 port, or how "practical" can it be allowed to become without 

 losing the essential spirit of true scholarship — the search for 

 new knowledge? 



There is, of course, no unique answer to this dilemma. Yet 

 every institution must find some answer which is both con- 

 sistent with its own ideals and consonant with its circumstances 

 and responsibilities. 



Our aim at Caltech has been to lean over backward on 

 the side of basic or pure research, and I shall try to explain how 

 we seek to maintain this posture under today's conditions. 



Advantages of Small Group 



First, we find that a small student body is a prime asset. 

 If our teaching load were allowed to outrun our research ca- 

 pacity, we would then have a large teaching staff inadequately 

 provided with research facilities or funds. The pressure would 

 be great to accept any kind of research task for which funds 

 were made available just to keep the faculty busy. This, you 

 will admit, could lead to unhappy results. 



But even under the best circumstances the selection of 

 research activities and research fields remains a critical problem. 

 The momentary glamor of a well-financed but inappropriate 

 project may have to be resisted in favor of the long-term benefits 

 of more basic research activities. To assist in reviewing this 



108 



