The reception of refugee scholars from Nazi Germany in America: philanthropy and social change in higher education

This article examines the reception of refugee scholars from Nazi Germany in American higher education during the 1930s. Despite initial defensiveness from American educators and existing antisemitic prejudice, a significant number of these scholars successfully integrated into U.S. colleges and universities. The paper attributes this success not only to the talents of the refugees but also to the crucial role of American philanthropy, particularly the contributions of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars. It explores how these philanthropic efforts, coupled with changing perceptions within the American academic community.