Department of Mathematics Oral History Project records

The collection consists of written transcripts of 42 interviews with surviving
faculty and students of the mathematics community in Princeton in the 1930s. Also
included among the interviews are 3 written contributions. Most of the discussion
focuses on the institutional and social context of the development of an eminent
mathematical research and graduate education center, and on the personalities and
biographies of the individuals involved. Information about technical accomplishments
within mathematics are only peripherally considered. Common topics include reasons
for coming to Princeton, assessments of the educational and research programs, and
the effects of the Depression and the European political situation on academic
life.