BR TO W.W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. / WARDER NORTON, 18 FEB. 1937
BRACERS 47193. ALS. Norton papers, Columbia U. SLBR 2: #424
Edited by N. Griffin. Proofread by K. Blackwell and A. Duncan

<letterhead>
Telegraph House
Harting, Petersfield.1
18.2.37

Dear Warder

Thank you for your interesting letter of Feb. 9. I gather Flexner rejected my application without consulting any of his colleagues. He said, it is true, that his rejection was not final, but I took that (perhaps mistakenly) as mere politeness. However, it certainly left him free to accept my application without acknowledging any change of opinion.

As to your questions:

(a) I wrote to Flexner after receiving his rejection, saying I am a philosopher rather than a mathematician. I did not write before, because you had strongly advised me not to — except the formal letter, to which his was a negative reply.

(b) I should very much like to succeed Whitehead at Harvard,2 though (if the money is adequate) I would in some ways evena rather be at Princeton, because I don’t want to have administrative work or much teaching: it is research that I want. I have naturally thought of Whitehead’s post, but I have no reason to suppose that he contemplates retirement.3 Have you? I do not want to seem eager to step into his shoes, nor to have him hear at second hand about any move of mine in connection with Harvard. Therefore, after receiving Flexner’s refusal, I wrote to Whitehead, reminding him that in 1931 Harvard had invited me to give some lectures, which at that time I could not do, and asking whether there was any chance of the invitation being renewed. He never writes letters, so my only purpose was to let him know, from me, that I desire an academic job.4 He having been for many years my most intimate friend, I don’t want him to hear this first at second hand.

I do not know what the salary would be if I got the Princeton job. Do you? I do not want people to get the impression that I am mercenary, but as you know the first many hundred pounds of what I earn have to be paid to others, so that at present I have to live on my capital, which is not large enough to last long. When it is finished, there will not only be nothing for me and Peter to live on, but no means of educating the coming child. This prospect is unbearable. I would rather people know me to be poor than thought me mercenary.

John and Kate, fortunately, have trusts which insure their education; they are composed of my savings in happier days.

Who is Conant?5

Can you find out how much Princeton would pay if I got the post?

Yours ever
B.R.

P.S. The enclosed is from an elderly maiden lady whom I have known slightly for 40 years.6 Lippincott’s wanted Which Way to Peace but it was after your advice against publication, and I refused. The book has had immense success in England — more than anything in recent years by me. I wonder whether, with a little alteration, it could not be made interesting to the American public. Do you disapprove of its opinions?

• 1

  [document] Proofread against a microfilm printout of the original.

• 2

  I should very much like to succeed Whitehead at Harvard Since 1924 Whitehead had been professor of philosophy at Harvard.

• 3

  I have no reason to suppose that he contemplates retirement In fact, he retired that year.

• 4

  He never writes letters … I desire an academic job. This time he did reply: to tell Russell there would be no chance at Harvard, but suggesting that he try Chicago or California instead. Whitehead’s letter is not extant in RA.

• 5

  Conant James B. Conant (1893–1978), an American chemist and educator, and president of Harvard since 1933. Norton, who was a friend, had offered to take up the idea of Russell’s replacing Whitehead with him.

• 6

  an elderly maiden lady whom I have known slightly for 40 years It is not known who she was, but she lived in Santa Barbara. She had evidently written to Russell enquiring about American publication of Which Way to Peace?

Textual Notes

• a

  in some ways even inserted