Higgins Fund Provides for Scientific Research; 4 Ivy League Schools Benefit from Endowment

Princeton and Harvard share, with two other Ivy League schools, the income from one of the largest trust funds ever given to any educational institutions.

Eugene Higgins, multimillionaire bachelor, and hon vivant, willed the bulk of his estate, $38,500,000 for "education in natural and physical sciences" before he died in the summer of 1948. Each university was instructed to use the money "to promote the general advancement of science by investigation, research, and experiment."

A Board of Control consisting of the presidents of the four colleges and the chairman of the United States Trust Company of New York, which holds the trust, determines the distribution of the fund.

The will was probated in the spring of 1949, and each school received $150,000 for the following fiscal year. Princeton chose to use her share to establish professorships and fellowships in General Science and Engineering, releasing men from teaching duties to carry on research.

Harvard assigned her portion for work in the Medical School, the Medical Department at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and the Dental School. Eleven men, chief among whom are Dr. Edwin J. Cohn, University professor, and Dr. Percy Bridgeman, Higgins University Professor, received grants of varying amounts, and stipulations on their use.

An expert in the field of Physical Chemistry, Cohn is continuing his study of proteins and their effect on the structure and functions of plant and animal tissues. Bridgeman is carrying on research in high pressure physics and teaching the philosophy of sciences.

Other grants given by the University under the trust funds for work on the microscopic chemistry of cells, the growth and nutrition of bacteria, metabolism, circulation and the effect of drugs. Each department is supervised by an eminent man in the field here at the University, who has colleagues and assistants, paid out of the fund. Some of the money goes toward the equipment and laboratory space.

Cohn is allotted $25,000 by the Higgins fund for his work this year, while Bridgeman receives $14,000. Former Dean Burwell of the Medical School will get $20,000 for his research.

Money from the Higgins fund has helped change a deficit at the Medical School to a surplus. After losing almost $100,000 in 1948-49, the school instead made close to $100,000 in '49-'50.

The Higgins fund has been especially valuable in meeting operational expenses of the Medical School. Contributions to schools usually cannot be devoted to that purpose.

In a joint statement issued after the announcements of the first grants of trust, the five members of the Board of Control declared that the fund provided "much needed assistance by helping to maintain high academic standards."

Eugene Higgins, himself, was colorful as only a multi-millionaire can be. Tall and imposing in stature, flourishing an enormous, wild-looking moustache, he was in constant demand in New York and Paris society. But, the most eligible bachelor of any year, Higgins never married. Disappointed in love, unfortunate experiences, and just plain stubbornness--all were given as reasons, but the truth was never known.

Nevertheless, Higgins enjoyed life. He owned one of the most magnificent yachts of his era, and spent years on it travelling all over the world. His stables were stocked with the finest of horses; riding and showing them was one of his favorite hobbies. He enjoyed giving things to his many friends, and in his will he left large gifts to his old servants.

Yet, he was a shrewd businessman and wise investor. His father amassed a fortune in carpet manufacturing, which business Higgins took over. But he soon sold it and went on to build up his wealth through investments. His income was reputed to amount to $7,000 a day.

The other two schools that receive benefit from the trust are Columbia and Yale. Higgins graduated from Columbia in 1882, and, in his earlier wills, made it his chief beneficiary. However, as his fortune increased, he decided upon a wider distribution; the present will was drawn up in 1926.

Columbia designated the bulk of her share of the trust to work in Nuclear, Atomic, and Molecular Physics, with some of the money supporting research in Biochemistry and Engineering. Yale's gift goes toward furthering studies in Microbiology. As at Harvard, most of her share was marked for the use of her Medical Department.

For the next fiscal year, all four universities will receive $240,000 under the trust. Currently, each school has $185,000, and the income available will increase upon the termination of certain life estates for individuals as set forth in the will.

Eugene Higgins had a $100,000 monument built over his grave when he died. But in the field of Science, there has been erected a $38,500,000 monument.

It is not known whether Higgins wanted to set an example to other philanthropists or merely felt that, having no direct heirs, he wanted his money used well. It is not even known just what he thought about science or how it had affected him. He was a close friend of James Gordan Bennett, former owner of the New York Herald, but even Bennett knew little about what his tight-lipped friend was thinking.

At any rate, the gift, the largest educational trust in existence today, aided greatly in "the development of urgent new programs deprived of sufficient support."

"However," adds the Board of Control in their joint statement, "much remains to be done if our universities are to preserve their academic freedom and at the same time meet the demands that are already upon them and that will increase steadily in the years to ome.