Horkheimer paired Adorno with Lazarsfeld to enrich him materially while keeping Institute primacy.

Evidence

The combination with the Lazarsfeld research project not only offers certain financial guarantees, but is also a way of putting you in touch with academic circles and other circles which are important for you. Of course, it goes without saying that we would much rather have you to ourselves, but on the other hand the adequate material basis for your life, which you rightly desire, will only be achievable if you are not dependent on the Institute alone. I definitely think the opportunities are there in America for you and Gretel to live a really upper-class life. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 983

Categorization

• XREF: Previews the later famous Adorno-Lazarsfeld Princeton Radio Research Project collision between critical and administrative research. — connects to: Horkheimer welcomed Adorno’s financial independence from the Institute