Although this turns off a few prospective students, the defense funds are an important source of revenue. Early on, MIT, because of lack of funds, faced the threat of being swallowed up by its powerful neighbor Harvard.
雖然有些反戰人士因此不讓自己的子弟就讀 MIT，但國防經費對於麻省理工學院，卻是一筆極為重要的收入，因為 MIT 早年就曾因缺錢，四度險遭財大勢雄的芳鄰﹘ ﹘哈佛大學的併吞。