How a group of refugee scholars transformed a radical adult school into a university

Nature · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1919 as a non-degree institution for night lectures, the New School for Social Research evolved into a sanctuary for displaced European intellectuals. By creating a University in Exile, it preserved academic freedom against rising authoritarianism, eventually establishing a unique graduate faculty that challenged conventional disciplinary boundaries.

The New School for Social Research began as a progressive experiment in 1919, led by figures like John Dewey and Thorstein Veblen. Seeking an alternative to the rigid bureaucracy of traditional American higher education, these founders envisioned an adult learning space without admissions requirements or formal degrees. It functioned as a hub for diverse intellectual inquiry, hosting guest lecturers like John Maynard Keynes and labor statistician Leo Wolman.

The institution's character shifted dramatically in 1933 following the Nazi Civil Service Restoration Act, which purged over 1,200 Jewish and radical academics from German state institutions. President Alvin Johnson secured funding from Hiram Halle and the Rockefeller Foundation to establish a University in Exile. This faculty, which included scholars like Emil Lederer and Hans Staudinger, provided a vital refuge for thinkers fleeing Europe. By 1934, the state granted them a charter to confer graduate degrees, leading to the formation of the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science.

For decades, this faculty operated without traditional departmental silos, encouraging research that spanned economics, sociology, and philosophy. This interdisciplinary spirit persisted even after a 1960s financial crisis forced a reorganization into formal departments. The economics department, in particular, became a bastion for heterodox thought, championing Post-Keynesian, Marxian, and institutionalist approaches. Scholars like Robert Heilbroner and Anwar Shaikh helped define this legacy, ensuring the school remained a site for critical analysis rather than just conventional training.

The school's identity has remained fluid, undergoing various rebrandings and structural changes throughout the 20th century. While it officially became part of a larger university structure in 1995, it reclaimed its original name in 2005. Today, it continues to balance its historical commitment to social research with the demands of modern academia, maintaining a student-run journal and a focus on diverse economic traditions.

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