Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
Present: Gaylord P. Harnwell, George B. Pegram, John C. Steinberg, Mark W. Zemansky
Absent: George R. Harrison
AIP Staff: Henry A. Barton, Wallace Waterfall, B. H. Goodfriend, K. Setze
The Executive Committee met at 9:45 a.m. on December 11, 1952.
Illness prevented Chairman Harrison’s attendance at the meeting. On motion made and carried, John C. Steinberg was elected Chairman of the meeting.
1. Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting of July 24, 1952 were approved after correction to include the following motion:
MOVED that the staff be authorized to open an account at Bankers Trust Company in the name of ACTA METALLURGICA and that the resolution required by the bank (copy attached to official minutes) be adopted.
2. Institute Journals:
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Appointment of Editors
On motion made, seconded, and carried, Elmer Hutchisson was re-elected Editor of the JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS for a three year term commencing January 1, 1953.
The Director reported that J. C. Mayer had asked to be relieved of the editorship of the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS. The Division of Chemical Physics of the APS had been asked for nominations for the editorship and had submitted several names. These were discussed and it was voted that Clyde A. Hutchison (recommended by J. C. Mayer) be offered the position as Editor of JCP with a stipend of $2000 a year.
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Editorial Boards
On recommendation of Editor Hutchisson, the following were appointed to a three year term on the Editorial Board of the JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS beginning January 1, 1953:
- Wallace J. Eckert
- Louis A. Pipes
- W. R. Smythe
On recommendation of Editor Mayer, the following were appointed as Associate Editors of the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS for a three year term commencing January 1, 1953:
- Richard M. Badger
- John G. Kirkwood
- Robert L. Scott
- David M. Dennison
- S. S. Penner
- A. W. Lawson
- G. B. Kistiakowsky
On recommendation of Editor Harnwell, the following were appointed to a three year term on the Editorial Board of the REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS beginning January 1, 1953:
- R. S. Bear
- T. W. Bonner
- S. C. Collins
- B. B. Dayton
- R. Hofstadter
- R. E. Meagher
On recommendation of Editor Harnwell, the following were appointed to comprise the Editorial Board of PHYSICS TODAY for the terms indicated beginning January 1, 1953:
One Year
- D. E. Gray
- R. V. Langmuir
- J. C. Morris
- L. I. Schiff
- L. A. Turner
Two Years
- E. U. Condon
- F. V. Hunt
- E. H. Land
- R. Smoluchowski
- R. F. Paton
- M. White
Three Years
- L. J. Haworth
- J. W. Beams
- C. G. Suits
- P. Kusch
- W. W. Buechner
- A. M. Clogston
3. Election of Associate:
The Secretary presented an application from the Raytheon Manufacturing Company, Research Division, for Associate membership in the Institute. On motion made and carried, Raytheon Manufacturing Company was elected an Associate Member.
4. 1952 Operations and Budget for 1953:
The Secretary presented copies of a statement of operations for the first nine months of 1952 and a projected statement to the end of the year. He pointed out that whereas net income for the year had been budgeted at $17,975, it appears that the net will be approximately $45,000. This is explained by the following circumstances which were not foreseen:
- Fewer pages than budgeted used by RSI and JAP and better subscription income.
- Large back number sales, principally on orders from Japan.
- Increased advertising revenue.
The Secretary also presented a proposed budget for 1953 and pointed out that it is based on the following considerations:
- Five percent increase in Lancaster Press prices.
- Staff salary increases now in effect and contemplated.
- Increase of 25 percent in advertising rates. Additional income from this source is partially offset by increased cost of printing advertising and by new combination rates. Also, existing advertising contracts will continue at the lower rate.
- Page budget requests received from Editors.
Regarding Item 2 above, the Secretary and the Director reported that they had included a salary increase for R. R. Davis, Managing Editor of PHYSICS TODAY, to $7200 a year as well as some necessary increases for other staff members. Gaylord P. Harnwell, as Editorial Director of PHYSICS TODAY, moved that the increased salary for Mr. Davis be approved. The motion was passed. It was the consensus that the other increases mentioned should be left to the judgment of the Director and the Executive Secretary.
Mr. Harnwell discussed the future of PHYSICS TODAY. He believes that the staff of the magazine should be enlarged to include a news editor. This might be someone who could also assist with advertising sales. The Committee agreed that something should be done about news coverage in PHYSICS TODAY but felt that for financial reasons this would have to be a part-time arrangement and should be left for later consideration. It was also suggested that the staff consider the possibility of getting such assistance from traveling representatives of book publishers.
Mr. Pegram pointed out that the only big new expense item in the proposed budget is the distribution of PHYSICS TODAY to all members without charge. The cost of this is well over the contributions from Member Societies.
On motion made, seconded, and carried, the budget for 1953 (copy attached) was adopted.
The Treasurer and the staff proposed that $50,000 from the cash account be put in short term U.S. Treasury certificates. The Committee agreed and a motion was passed authorizing the staff to put $50,000 in U.S. Treasury certificates (yield $1.98) due in August 1953.
5. Scientific Manpower Commission:
The Committee approved the mail ballot suggesting that Messrs. Harrison and Barton act as incorporators for the Scientific Manpower Commission.
The Director reported that the Institute had been invited to nominate two members of the Commission and the following motion was passed:
MOVED that Messrs. George R. Harrison and Henry A. Barton be nominated for membership on the Scientific Manpower Commission and that the Chairman be empowered to appoint another nominee should either of the above decline.
The Director reviewed the Certificate of Incorporation and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Commission. The suggested bylaws provide that any organization may withdraw as nominating agency to the Commission by giving notice in writing at least sixty days before the annual meeting and that each of the organizations which join in creating the Scientific Manpower Commission shall nominate two or more of its members for membership in the Commission. It was the consensus of the Committee that the sixty days notice should be deleted and that the organization should be asked to nominate members for membership in the Commission. After some discussion, the following motion was passed:
MOVED that the AIP express general approval of the objectives of the Scientific Manpower Commission and make nominations with the suggestion that such amendments be made in the bylaws as will clearly avoid any contractual relationship between the Commission and the several Societies which will be asked to nominate members.
6. Survey of Physicists in Training:
The Director called attention to the reprint from the Federal Register, which he had sent to all Governing Board members, calling for the cooperation of professional scientific societies in attracting capable students into scientific and technical fields. There was considerable discussion and it was the consensus of the Committee that the Institute should have up to date figures on enrollments and degrees in physics and the staff was instructed to set up the machinery for collecting these figures annually.
7. Housing Facilities:
The Secretary reported that because of an increasing staff the Institute is faced with remodeling its present quarters or moving elsewhere within the next five years. A number of inquiries have been received from real estate concerns about the purchase of the Institute building. There was some discussion regarding relocation of the Institute and the following motion was passed:
MOVED that the Chairman appoint a committee to consider the appropriateness of the various possible alternatives of housing for the Institute for the next ten to twenty years and report its recommendations to the Executive Committee.
8. Student Organization:
The Director stated that the Student Sections of the Institute seem to be holding their own but not growing very rapidly. Because of the acknowledged desirability of encouraging capable young people to train for the physics profession, we must give further consideration to this question. There are various other organizations available to physics students and these must also be considered. He asked that a committee be appointed to study this situation and the following motion was passed:
MOVED that the Chairman appoint a committee to study the organization of students and to report its recommendations to the Governing Board.
9. Publication of Rheology Papers in JAP:
The Director reported that the Society of Rheology has no journal of its own and that the papers presented at their annual meeting have been published in a special issue of the Journal of Colloid Chemistry. Several officers of the Society of Rheology met with the Director and Editor Hutchisson to discuss the possibility of publishing the Rheology papers in one issue of the JAP each year. The staff and Editor Hutchisson feel that this would be desirable. After some discussion, the following motion was passed:
MOVED that the Institute agree to publish in one issue of JAP annually for three years those papers of the Society of Rheology which are accepted by the Editor of JAP and which come within the page budget set for that Journal with the understanding that the Society of Rheology agrees to buy this special issue for each of its members at the regular single copy price, the Society bearing any extra expenses in connection with setting up the special issue.
10. Applied Nuclear Physics Symposium:
The Director reported that applied nuclear physics appears to be too big a subject for a successful symposium and suggested that the Committee consider instead a symposium on reactor physics. The Committee agreed and authorized the staff to make the necessary arrangements.
11. Advisory Conference of Industrial Physicists:
The Director reported on several contacts he had had with leading industrial physicists and said he believed an occasional organized conference with such men would be mutually helpful. We want them to know more about the Institute and its activities and we want their suggestions on what the Institute should do to meet the opportunities and responsibilities faced by the field of physics. It was the consensus of the Committee that such a conference would be very desirable and the following motion was passed:
MOVED that the Chairman and staff be authorized to hold a conference of industrial physicists to consider from their point of view what the Institute can do to serve the field of physics.
12. International Standards:
The Director reported that the United States does not have representatives on the International Standards Organization Technical Committee Number 12 on Quantities, Symbols, Units, and Conversion Tables. The AIP has been invited by the American Standards Association to become a reviewing organization in connection with this committee. After some discussion it was agreed that the AIP should ask the AAPT, which has a committee working on these standards, to recommend what action the AIP should take on this matter.
13. 200th Anniversary of Columbia University:
The Institute has been invited to participate in the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Columbia University to be held in 1954. Mr. Pegram indicated that the Columbia plans have not yet been completed and it was suggested that he keep in touch with the situation and advise the Institute what type of participation would be desirable.
14. Proposal of Bulletin of Atomic Scientists:
The Secretary reported receipt of a letter from Edward A. Shils of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists regarding American visa policy and foreign scientists. Mr. Shils suggested that the Institute present its observations, opinions, and recommendations to the President’s commission on Naturalization and Immigration and to the proper committees of the Senate and the House. The Committee recommended that this subject be added to the agenda for the Governing Board meeting.
15. Committee on Professional Ethics:
The Secretary reported receipt of a letter from Walter Rosenblith of MIT suggesting that the Institute consider the establishment of a Committee on Professional Ethics similar to such committees in other fields. The Executive Committee questioned whether such a committee is necessary in the field of physics at this time but instructed the Secretary to correspond with Mr. Rosenblith to determine whether he had any specific situations in mind.
16. Meteorological Society:
The staff recommended and the Council agreed that the Meteorological Society should be invited to apply for Affiliated Membership in the Institute.
17. Dates for Future Meetings:
The following dates were set for future meetings:
| Executive Committee Meeting | March 13, 1953 |
| Governing Board Meeting | March 14, 1953 |
| Annual Meeting | February 28, 1953 |
The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 pm.