19063 The Pension System 



fixed at ^4000; to their widows one half the stipulated 

 amount. A certain provision, moreover, was made 

 for teachers who had broken down prematurely. 

 It was also arranged that pensions might be granted 

 under special conditions to men not yet sixty-five 

 who were engaged in definite research work.^ With 

 some modifications from year to year, the origi- 

 inal provisions are still in force for those who began 

 to teach prior to 191 5. Meanwhile, however, before 

 any important changes had been made, at the 

 earnest appeal of the state universities Carnegie 

 arranged to include them also, although adding to 

 the endowment only five million dollars, while the 

 expense was necessarily doubled. 



In 191 2 Pritchett raised certain objections to the PriuhM'i 

 pension system and proposed a radical change. By ^''"^"^'^ 

 this plan the Foundation was to furnish insurance 

 policies or endowments carrying no overhead charges 

 but to which an individual must contribute from his 

 own savings, assisted by his institution, provided of 

 course that the latter retained membership under the 

 new arrangement. 



In favor of the change but one main argument was 

 officially advanced: "as a matter of psychology, 

 pensions everywhere tend to reduce activity, it being 

 a case of getting something for nothing." The answer 

 to this is absolute denial so far as college professors 

 are concerned. Carnegie himself said to me that he 

 thought the Foundation the best and most far- 

 reaching of all his public gifts. 



As to the current statement, never officially made, 

 however, that the endowment of fifteen millions was 



' This provision, so far as I remember, was granted but twice, the recipients 

 being Simon H. Gage of Cornell for research in Physiology, and Melville B. 

 Anderson of Stanford for Dante study. After a few years it was withdrawn. 



C 189 1 



