9 - Scientific Researcher for the Rockefeller Foundation

Summary

Right after my postdoctoral exam—which coincided with Liviu Rusu’s—I worked up my courage and told Professor Goangă I was planning to apply for a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship to study the above mentioned issues in England and America.

“But that foundation grants scholarships only for medical school,” the professor told me, “and so far only physicians have gone.”

“Since 1926 the Rockefeller Foundation has widened its program, and they are now granting scholarships for all sciences,” I said. “In Germany I met some of their grantees who were doing psychology.”

“And what would you like to study?”

“Personality psychology and its new experimental and psychometric methodology,” I answered, keeping silent on the matter of clinical methodology with logical qualitative interpretation.

“It would be better if you studied character examination tests published by Hartshorne and May in their Studies in Deceit, which was very impressive.”

I myself had drawn my teacher's attention to the three volumes published by my future professors, in order to prepare him to accept my proposal.

“Fine, Mărgineanu, I have nothing against it,” he said, finally, “but I’m afraid you’re clutching at shadows.”

“I believe I will be recommended by my professors in Germany, by Stern in any case “That would surely help you a lot.”

I learned the procedure for obtaining a Rockefeller scholarship while in Germany. It had two stages: one for screening the applications, the other for granting the scholarships.

As a result, I sent the Rockefeller Foundation social sciences department in Paris my application, with my studies and papers, and the names of professors Stern, Köhler, and Goangă. In addition, the foundation consulted its handpicked experts. The foundation resorted to my references only if they were fully established experts in the science. The candidate would not know whether or not they had been consulted, because their response to the foundation was confidential. But, as the recommendation of experts I had proposed was favorable, professors Stern and Köhler were kind enough to send me a copy of their recommendations, to which they added their wishes for success.