Inspired by Columbia's then-upcoming Bicentennial year (1954), the University Development Plan Committee charged the Subcommittee on Academic Eminence to conduct a study "to ascertain the relative standing of Columbia's academic eminence in as objective a manner as possible." According to the report, the committee was "concerned with several danger signs which have appeared in recent years: (1) the recent loss of eminent people to other institutions; (2) the growing competition from state-supported institutions, government and industry; (3) the few eminent men who have in recent years refused invitations to join Columbia's staff; (4) the younger staff members of promise who are tempted to leave; (5) the many vacancies which will occur in the next few years due to retirements of eminent scholars; and (6) the urgent need for new and improved physical facilities which might overshadow the importance of staff."

To discover Columbia's academic eminence in comparison with other leading institutions, the Subcommittee set out to find the most distinguished scholars and where they were located. Columbia's Department Chairs (or Executive Officers, as they were known then) were asked to suply of list of "fields of learning" within their discipline as well as a list of professors specializing in each field. Survey forms were sent out to these scholars or a "panel of experts" to judge their colleagues and identify those who were the most eminent in a given field. The Subcommittee tabulated the results to see how Columbia ranked.

In the report, the Subcommittee found that Columbia ranked second only to Harvard in academic eminence. In order to improve its ranking, they recommended that Columbia hire an additional 27 eminent professors, create a favorable academic climate with attractive facilities, improve living conditions, award merit promotions, offer publication assistance, support participation in professional affairs, and demonstrate more administrative interest. The members of the University Development Plan Committee's Subcommittee on Academic Eminence were Paul F. Kerr, Chair; Charles R. Dawson, William A. Demorest, Edward H. Green and Christopher Mady, Secretary.