Restore the Right Priorities

摘要

When I received my first research grant from the National Science Foundation (in the 1950s), I telephoned my father to tell him the good news. He did not, however, share my feeling of elation; he said he had severe misgivings about the federal government getting involved in university activities. He cautioned that the time would come when the universities would regret accepting federal money, because of the increased red tape, the micromanagement, and the necessity for kowtowing to government functionaries. His words of caution were based upon his own experiences in university teaching, employment by several private consulting firms, and service in the federal government.