There is one thing we can say about scientific education as it existed 100 years ago: Certainly as far as America is concerned, the scientific education of the 19th century—taken almost as a whole—did not produce great scientists… There was something about American society in the 19th century, and about American education as part of that society, which was inhibitive of the production of scientific genius. In this article, the author shares his thoughts on what science needs for its progress on the part of its individuals. This article was first published in September, 1957.