Brain Drain

        Many historians argue that Adolf Hitler sowed the seeds of Germany’s defeat when he enacted the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, which barred Jewish individuals from university teaching positions, as mentioned in Section 1. In response, programs and organizations around the world were established to support these displaced intellectuals.

One such initiative was the Rockefeller Fellowship, which helped scholars like Edward Teller continue their work. With this support, Teller joined Niels Bohr’s research in Copenhagen before moving to the United Kingdom and eventually accepting a teaching position at George Washington University in 1935 (“Scientific Exodus,” 2014). At the collegiate and governmental levels, similar efforts emerged—Columbia University established the Faculty Fellowship Fund, while the U.S. government created the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced German Scholars.

The United States was particularly proactive in securing scientific talent. Its institutions and geographic distance from the war provided a rare sense of security, allowing scientists to focus on their work despite the turmoil in Europe. Notably, Leo Szilard, himself a displaced scientist, dedicated immense effort to finding suitable positions for fellow refugees—even as he struggled to secure one for himself. His selflessness underscores the broader scientific community’s commitment to preserving knowledge and innovation. While these efforts were driven by humanitarian concerns, they also proved highly beneficial to the nations that welcomed these scholars—especially the United States, which not only gained extraordinary scientific talent but also further elevated the reputation of its higher education.