The Veblen Open Space Legacy: A George Dyson Talk, March 21, 7pm

Follow many aspects of Princeton life back to their roots, and you'll encounter Oswald Veblen, a remarkable visionary and mathematician few have heard of. I first encountered his name after coming across an abandoned house and cottage in Herrontown Woods, which Veblen and his wife Elizabeth had left to the county, along with 95 acres, to be made into a nature center, library and museum for Princeton to enjoy on the northeast side of town.
 
Like the house, the Veblens' legacy has remained largely hidden and forgotten. That legacy runs like a deep river beneath many aspects of life in Princeton we now take for granted. A pre-eminent university, the Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein’s long and cherished residency--Veblen played surprisingly instrumental roles in making these possible. His vision and influence were also fundamental in Princeton’s contributions to early computer development.

A recurrent feature of Veblen’s legacy is his capacity to bring disconnected entities together to create greater meaning. The layout of Jones Hall on the Princeton University campus was designed by Veblen to bring mathematicians together to share ideas. The Institute, which Veblen's vision strongly influenced, furthered this goal of bringing scholars together, expedited by the tradition of afternoon tea the Veblens began. Whether recruiting mathematicians for the university, the Institute, or to help improve ballistics during the World Wars, Veblen displayed an uncanny knack for assembling talent. With Norwegian and Midwestern pioneer roots, Veblen himself combined extraordinary intellect with a love of hands-on physical work. A wedding of Old and New World can be seen both in the architectural elements of the Veblens' house and in their marriage--Elizabeth having been born in England.

All this “bringing together” can also be experienced when walking the trails of Princeton’s many nature preserves. A nature lover, Veblen served as "re-aggregator" of open space, consolidating small parcels in the 1930s with the intention of preserving large tracts--both at Herrontown Woods and the Institute Woods--and in that sense he began the process that continues today through Princeton’s open space movement. My research thus far suggests that Herrontown Woods, donated by the Veblens in 1957, was Princeton’s first dedicated nature preserve.

Though the Veblen House--a deep legacy next to a deep woods--remains neglected, Veblen’s founding efforts to mend pieces of land back together will be explored in a talk by author George Dyson on Thursday, March 21 at 7pm, hosted by D&R Greenway.

A writer and Princeton native, George Dyson has done a great deal to increase awareness of Oswald Veblen's remarkable legacy. In his book Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe, Dyson devotes his third chapter to describing Veblen's life and his role in developing the computers we use today. But his talk this Thursday will focus on how Veblen's vision and initiative led to the Institute acquiring 600 acres of open space that later was preserved as open space. Dyson's thorough research and engaging writing style have been a great inspiration to me in my own efforts to make people aware of the remarkable legacy the Veblens left to Princeton and the world, at VeblenHouse.org.

The talk, open to the public and entitled "Princeton's Christopher Robin - Oswald Veblen and the Six-Hundred-Acre Woods", will take place at the DR Greenway's Johnson Nature Center, out Rosedale Road.
From a DR Greenway email: "Growing up in these woods, Dyson is in a unique position to recount its journey to preservation. Owned first by William Penn, then Princeton's Olden family, and passing, through Veblen, finally to the Institute, Dyson declares, "Veblen put the fractured pieces back together." More info at http://drgreenway.org/public_programs.htm.