Education: Prizes with No Strings Attached

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Does it? Except for the youth of a few recipients, the first MacArthur fellows, though gleaming with accomplishments, are indistinguishable from typical grantsmen and grantswomen. In fact, many of the fellows have won other prestigious grants and awards (Pulitzer literary prizes, Woodrow Wilson fellowships, Danforth fellowships) in the past. Concedes MacArthur: "I wish a few more had been less established." Foundation staffers also fret about the possibility that the easy money could dull the personal drive of fellows. Roderick MacArthur takes a longer view: "If only a handful produce something of importance—whether it be a work of art or a major breakthrough in the sciences—it will have been worth the risk."

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