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The Emergence of the American Mathematical Research Community, 1876-1900: J.J. Sylvester, Felix Klein, and E.H. Moore (History of Mathematics)

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Without question, the United States was an extremely dynamic, energetic country in the 19th century. However, in the area of mathematics, there was a very little. If one desired a solid mathematical education, Europe was the only answer. However, there were a few far-sighted individuals who understood how important mathematics is in a modern society.
While not well-known among the general community, one man's vision served to change the face of educational institutions in America. That man was Johns Hopkins who, when he died, bequeathed his fortune, around $7,000,000, to establish an educational institution in Baltimore where graduate education and research was to be emphasized. To build the mathematics department, Johns Hopkins University imported a British mathematician by the name of James Joseph Sylvester.
The trials and tribulations of building a world-class department from scratch is a tale that is very interesting to read. Creating the prototype of the modern department conducting research, many of their problems have a very familiar ring to them. The subsequent rapid progress is truly a tribute to those pioneers. Johns Hopkins opened in 1876 with an import as a department head, by only sixteen years later, in 1893, there was an international mathematics conference in Chicago.
While today that may not seem significant, at the time it took significant effort for a European to make the additional trip from the east coast to the Midwest. This is a tribute to the high quality of work already being done at the newly created University of Chicago and the head of the mathematics department, Eliakim Hastings Moore.
In between there were many trials, tribulations, tiffs, and tumbles, the combination of which make this one of the best books in the history of mathematics. Thoroughly referenced, it will satisfy your academic and historical urges.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.