Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
Members Present: Ralph A. Sawyer – Chairman, S. A. Goudsmit, W. W. Havens, Jr., R. B. Lindsay, Vincent E. Parker, S. L. Quimby, Mary E. Warga
AIP Staff Present: Van Zandt Williams, Wallace Waterfall, G. F. Gilbert, Mary M. Johnson
1. Minutes
Upon motion made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote, the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting of October 1, 1965, were approved with the following correction: Page 4, Line 1, change “Institute” to “Institution”.
2. Education and Manpower Division
The Director reported that to date he had been unsuccessful in his search for someone to replace W. C. Kelly as head of the Education and Manpower Division. He has requested and will received assistance from an ad hoc committee of which Mr. Parker has agreed to be chairman. Other members of the committee will be one other AAPT representative, two representatives from the Commission on College Physics, two from AIP, and Ralph A. Sawyer.
3. Information System for Physics
The Director stated that the Institute and other scientific and technical organizations have been having discussions with the Committee on Scientific and Technical Information (COSATI) which was requested by the Federal Council to devise a national information system which will have responsibility for the handling of every technical document of any pertinence in the world. COSATI is apparently committed to completing its report and recommendation in six to nine months and the non-Federal groups involved in these discussions are apprehensive lest the task force fail to take society considerations into account. He said we plan to include in the January 1966 issue of PHYSICS TODAY a series of five articles on the general problem of “Information” and intend to have some mention of our information activity periodically in PT.
Mr. Havens said there is going to be a session on information activity at the January APS meeting, and he named the speakers. Mr. Goudsmit stated he hopes we will resist efforts being made to have preprints included in any proposed information system.
4. Appointments
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Replacements for W. C. Kelly and H. A. Barton on Committee to Designate Student Sections
The AIP By-Laws require that Student Sections be designated by a committee established for the purpose by the Governing Board or Executive Committee. The committee which was appointed by the Governing Board in March consists of H. A. Barton, Van Zandt Williams and W. C. Kelly. At least two of the members should be available to sign Student Section applications but Mr. Kelly is no longer with the Institute and Mr. Barton has expressed a wish to resign from the committee. The staff recommended that this committee be reconstituted with the following members: Ralph A. Sawyer, Van Zandt Williams and Wallace Waterfall, two of whom will probably be available at all times. Upon motion made and passed, the Committee to Designate Student Sections was reconstituted as suggested.
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AIP Representative on AAAS Subcommittee on Institute & Conferences of AAAS Cooperative Committee
The Secretary stated that Marsh W. White, who is a member of the subject subcommittee, has requested to be designated an official AIP representative. AAAS is agreeable and he has been so designated, subject to confirmation by the Executive Committee. Upon motion made and passed, Mr. White was confirmed as an AIP representative to this subcommittee.
5. Execution of Second Amendment to Revised Retirement Plan Trust Agreement
The Secretary said that when the Executive Committee approved the Revised Pension Plan on June 10, execution of the Second Amendment to the Trust Agreement with Bankers Trust Company was overlooked. The following motion was therefore made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that it was the intent of the Executive Committee when, on June 10, 1965, it adopted the Revised Retirement Plan, also to approve and authorize the execution of the Second Amendment to the Trust Agreement and the Amendment is hereby approved.
6. Report on Appraised Value of Meggers Coin & Stamp Collection
The Secretary reported that the stamp and coin collection which was entrusted to our keep by W. F. Meggers has been appraised at $49,942 by John Pigot of the Scott Stamp and Coin Company. Under the terms of our agreement with Mr. Meggers we have taken possession of $6,000 worth in 1965 and will take possession of another $6,000 worth after January 1, 1966. While Mr. Meggers is satisfied with the appraisal, he has advised us not to sell our share immediately but rather to hold it as he is convinced it will appreciate in value. We do not need the money at this time so we intend to take Mr. Meggers’ advice not to sell.
7. AIP Man for Washington, D. C.
The Director recalled that the subject of an AIP representative in Washington had been discussed previously, and negotiations have now reached the point where the staff is prepared to recommend that Dwight E. Gray be employed on a three-days-a-week basis for this position. Mr. Gray will be retiring from the Library of Congress at the end of 1965, and his past association with the Institute as Coordinating Editor of the AIP HANDBOOK and in other capacities as well as his background of more than twenty years in Government service make him an ideal candidate. Mr. Gray would be expected to keep in touch with various Government departments and pending legislation. To attend meetings in Washington at which AIP should be represented, and to submit reports and articles about the Washington scene for publication in PHYSICS TODAY or other use.
The Optical Society will have excess space in their officers after the first of the year due to the fact that some parts of the OiS and APPLIED OPTICS operations are being transferred to AIP, and they have offered to rent this space to us. A sum of $14,000 has been included in our 1966 budget for salaries and expenses of the Washington Office. We would propose to hire Mr. Gray as a consultant beginning about March. Our attorney is being asked for advice on what our Washington man can and cannot do without jeopardizing our tax-exempt status.
8. Financial Matters
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Statement for Third Quarter 1965
Mr. Gilbert stated he had distributed copies of the Third Quarter 1965 Statement and a covering letter to all members of the Executive Committee prior to the meeting (copies enclosed). A number of questions were asked by Committee members and apparently answered to their satisfaction.
Mr. Gilbert distributed a report showing a comparison of unit costs of dues and subscription fulfillment operations in the 1965 and 1966 budgets (copy attached) and it was noted that unit costs are expected to be lower in 1966 with a larger workload. It was also pointed out that the 1966 budget includes $5,000 for the addition of ZIP codes to our records.
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Budget for 1966
A proposed budget for 1966 had been distributed to Executive Committee members prior to the meeting along with a letter from the Secretary from which the following explanatory statements are quoted with a few changes:
“The statement for the first nine months indicated net income of $185,675.66. The projection for the whole 1965 year shows anticipated net of $165,800.00. It is lower because fourth quarter income is expected to be less than 25% of total annual income and fourth quarter expenses are greater than 25% of total annual expenses. This is not an unusual situation. 1965 will be a good year for AIP financially but probably not as good as 1964 when our net was $211,876.22. A more detailed analysis of 1965 should await the final figures after books are closed for the year.
“Preparation of the proposed 1966 budget has been unusually difficult because of uncertainties about some of the major programs for which funds may be used. We believe that the budgets for the major service departments (Editorial and Dues and Subscription Fulfillment Operations) are accurate and properly provide for all the needs of those departments for 1966 as we now see them. The plans of other major activities (Education and Manpower, Center for History and Philosophy of Physics, Public Relations, Information Study Project) seem less firmly established and therefore their financial requirements appear less definite. In preparing the 1966 budget, all departments were requested to itemize their needs to accomplish objectives they envisioned for themselves. Some trimming, substantial in some cases, was necessary to produce the net income figure at the bottom of Page 2. This is less than ½ of 1% of our gross income or expense and it is obvious that small variations in either of these gross amounts could greatly affect our net.
“The 1966 budget assumes no income from grants other than the allowed overhead from grants now in hand and also assumes that activities now carried on with grant funds will be terminated when those funds are exhausted unless funds for continuation are included in the 1966 budget. If other grants are obtained during 1966, they may or may not add to AIP income or decrease expenses of projects for which funds have been included in the budget, depending on the terms of the grants. In this respect the proposed budget may be said to be conservative.
“Page 3 shows that AIP archive journals collectively are expected to show net income of about $104,000 in 1965 but this is expected to decrease to about $62,750 in 1966 because of higher costs and more pages.
“Soviet translation journals (Page 4) will show a nice net income in 1965 and should do a little better in 1966.
“Net income from advertising (Page 6) should be about 10% higher in 1965 than in 1964 and we expect another 8% increase or so in 1966 in spite of higher costs.
“We expect income from administrative fees, etc. (Page 7) to be lower in 1966 than in 1965 unless we get additional grants or have income from special projects not anticipated in preparing the budget.
“Costs of PHYSICS TODAY (Page 5) are budgeted substantially higher in 1966 to provide for increased editorial management. Printing costs will be lower in spite of more pages and larger editions because we have negotiated a more favorable contract with the printer.
“A large increase has been budgeted for the Center for History and Philosophy of Physics (Page 8) to provide for the expanding activities which seem inevitable if we are to keep up with the momentum which has developed as a result of our promotional activities in that area. The Niels Bohr Library is now a part of the Center.
“The 1965 Education and Manpower expenses (Page 9) will fall substantially below budget for the current year. The budget for 1966 is higher than the current year’s expenses but cut substantially from what the Director hoped it might be. Funds for the initiation of the undergraduate physics program and continuation of the office of pre-college physics beyond the middle of 1966 are not included in the 1966 budget.
“Public Relations (Page 12) received an increase of about 35% in the 1966 budget but still not enough to cover all the activities the department believes are expected of it. A substantial part of the increase is to honor our commitment to carry on an activity which has been partially grant support in 1965.
“The Information Study Project (Page 10) is a new activity which seems essential if AIP is to maintain its position of leadership in the dissemination of scientific information. New possibilities are emerging. We must study and help develop them and be ready for the changes which seem inevitable.
“The Policy Committee (Page 11) will continue with the Feasibility Study for the Institute for History and Philosophy of Physical Sciences started this year and also carry on such policy studies as are referred to it during 1966.
“The 1966 budget for Administrative Operations (Page 13) is a little higher than 1965 mostly because of changes in personnel and the pension plan.
“Dues and Subscription Fulfillment Operations (Pages 14 and 15) will cost less in 1965 than budgeted and the 1966 budget will be slightly less than the 1965 budget. With increased workload, this means that unit costs should continue to decrease through 1966.
“The total cost of the Editorial Mechanics Department (Page 16) is budgeted to increase about 15% in 1966 but the total number of pages handled is also expected to increase 15%.”
The proposed budget was discussed page by page by the Executive Committee. Some changes were recommended by the staff as a result of last-minute information about editorial office costs on archive journals. Members of the Committee expressed concern about the rate of activities in the History and Philosophy of Physics. (The original budget proposed $80,650 for the Center.) It was agreed that neither AIP funds now space in our building will be adequate to continue such expansion and the Committee voted to instruct the staff to reduce the Center’s budget by approximately $15,000.00.
By motion, passed without dissent, the modified budget for 1966 was then adopted. The attached budget is the staff’s interpretation of what the Executive Committee adopted.
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Policy Committee
At its meeting on October 1, 1965, the Governing Board authorized creation of a Policy Committee of which Mr. Sawyer is Chairman, the other members to be designated by the Chairman and Director depending on the nature of policies under consideration. It is proposed that there may be several such policy committees with differing assignments. The Committee to Study the Feasibility of an Institute for History and Philosophy of Physical Sciences may be considered as one such committee and, in preparing the 1966 budget, a separate project budget was prepared to cover the incidental expenses of all these committees.
Prior to the present meeting the Secretary distributed to members of the Executive Committee a memorandum outlining some of the policy questions which bother the staff in attempting to make a three- or five-year financial projection for AIP such as the Director desires. After some discussion of various points in the memorandum it was agreed that a policy committee, properly constituted to consider such subjects, should be formed and the Chairman and Director agreed to present a list of committee members at the January 29 meeting.
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Authorization to Purchase Bank Certificates of Deposit
The Secretary stated that in the past the staff had been authorized to put temporarily unneeded funds into a savings account to purchase U.S. Treasury Bills. The banks have recently offered a new type of short-term investment – Certificates of Deposit. These will have a higher interest rate than our savings account and the staff recommends that the Executive Committee authorize their purchase if it appears desirable. The following motion was made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the Treasurer be authorized to purchase Certificates of Deposit with temporarily unneeded funds.
Miss Warga commented that the Optical Society has been advised by its financial counselors to do the same.
9. Status Reports
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Committee to Consider Second John T. Tate Award
Mr. Lindsay reported that he has been in contact with the other members of his Committee, Messrs. S. S. Ballard and S. A. Goudsmit, and one candidate is being considered seriously. Although the terms of the award state it is intended primarily for foreign nationals, it is felt this would not disqualify completely anyone who is now an American citizen.
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Steering Committee to Study Institute for History and Philosophy of Physical Sciences
The Chairman reported that, although the requested grant for this study has been turned down by NSF, the subject Committee has recommended that the Institute proceed with its study of expanding the work in physics alone. It will be recalled that the grant request was co-sponsored by Columbia University, Princeton University and the American Astronomical Society. It is planned to submit a new grant request for this project to the Ford Foundation in the near future. In answer to a question, the Secretary stated that the $7,000 which was appropriated for a feasibility study by Martz and Lundy was not spent because we were advised it would be necessary first to determine the scope, location and management of any proposed facility and we have not yet reached that stage.
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Corporate Associates
The Director distributed copies of a status report on Corporate Associates (copy attached).
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Liability Insurance for Society Meetings
The Secretary reported that he has had several conversations with our insurance brokers, Marsh & McLennan, who have said that national Society meetings can be covered under our present policy to a limit of $500,000 per accident for $23 per day of meetings. The average number of days over the past few years has been 66, which would cost $1,518 per year. The insurance company would audit our records at the end of the year to determine the exact number of days and bill us accordingly. Although we have not yet received a confirming letter which was promised, we have been assured the rider will be in effect before the January meetings. (Confirming letter received subsequent to meeting.)
10. Society Approval of Amendments to AIP Constitution and Full Membership for American Crystallographic Association and American Astronomical Society
The Secretary reported that the four Member Societies who have had the opportunity to do so have approved both of the two proposed Constitutional Amendments and the admission of ACA and AAS as full Member Societies. Ratification by all but of the Member Societies who take action within a year (provided it constitutes a majority) is required to change the Constitution. Therefore, the change has been made and copies of the new Constitution dated November 2, 1965, the date of the fourth approval, were distributed at the meeting and are enclosed with these minutes.
The admission of new Member Societies requires an affirmative vote by three-quarters of the present Member Societies so the election of ACA and AAS is assured. Their formal election will take place at the annual corporation meeting on February 18, 1966, which will be attended by proxies representing the five founder Societies and we will propose that, for accounting purposes, their full membership be made retroactive to January 1, 1966.
11. “Scientific American” Subscription Fulfillment Project
The Secretary reported that, as the result of a telephone call from Gerard Piel, publisher of “Scientific American,” he and Mr. Gilbert attended a meeting with two representatives of SA and two representatives from the System Development Corporation. SA has asked SDC to develop a system for automating their subscription fulfillment operation but SDC can contract only with a non-profit organization. Therefore the project has been broadened to encompass a study of the subscription fulfillment problems of scientific organizations generally with the expectation that it will produce information of value to AIP and others. To test the applicability of the findings that project will include development and installation of a complete fulfillment system for SA. SA has asked AIP to sign the contract with SDC and SA will in turn sign a contract with AIP agreeing to pay all but a small part of the total cost. The cost of the project will be $94,100 and SA has suggested that AIP make a token payment of about $5,000.00. Our attorney has been consulted and feels that it would be proper for AIP to enter into such contracts but requests that we give him an opportunity to examine the actual contracts when prepared.
Mr. Gilbert said SDC is considered the foremost authority in its field and it would be to our advantage to sign the contract. We have every reason to expect that the information we will gain will be useful and will save us expense in the future when changes in our present system become necessary.
Payment to SDC is to be made in two installments and the staff feels that a token payment of $1,000 should be adequate for the first installment. After the results have been evaluated we can make an additional payment if we feel it is justified. The following motion was made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the staff be authorized to conclude negotiations with “Scientific American” and System Development Corporation, provided our legal counsel approves of the contractual arrangements and the total cost to the Institute does not exceed $5,000.00.
12. Radiation Protection Handbook
The Secretary recalled that, at the Executive Committee meeting on October 1, he reported correspondence with Lauriston Taylor of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, and with S. L. Quimby about the publication of a handbook on “Radiation Protection for Teaching Institutions.” At that time very little was known about the details and it was agreed that no action should be taken until more information was received. We have now got a letter from Mr. Taylor stating that we can have 5,000 copies of the Handbook for $2,000.00. He also sent us two copies of the text and a draft of the prefatory statement.
Mr. Parker said that, although he believes we should have our own review of the material, the project was initiated by W. C. Kelly when he was Secretary of the AAPT Apparatus Committee and a member of the AIP staff, and AAPT is willing to join AIP in financing it. He suggested the handbook might be distributed free of charge to the 750 physics departments listed in the “Directory of Physics Faculties” with subsequent copies available for a price. Mr. Quimby felt high schools ought to be included in the initial distribution although there was some question as to how one would ascertain what percentage of them have physics departments using radioactive equipment. Miss Warga suggested that the handbook could be distributed by suppliers of radioactive physics equipment to their customer high schools. It was pointed out that Mr. Taylor indicates his organization will make some distribution but the extent is not known. After further brief discussion, the following motion was made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that AIP be authorized to purchase and distribute such quantities of the handbook as seem appropriate, including distribution to the departments listed in the “Directory of Physics Faculties,” the cost to AIP not to exceed $1,000 and with the understanding that AAPT will commit an equivalent amount.
13. Rental of Space for Advertising Department
The Secretary stated that the Institute has leased 1,390 square feet of space at 820 Second Avenue, on the corner of 44th Street, at $8,000 per year, and plans to move the Advertising Department into that office as soon as architectural work and finishing details are completed some time after the first of the year. The lease has been signed and includes two months concession from the time we actually move in. A survey of our operations has indicated that is one department which is able to function efficiently outside our headquarters building. The following motion was then made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the Executive Committee approve the action of the Secretary in signing the above-described lease on behalf of the Institute.
14. Possibility of Space in U. S. Pavilion at New York World’s Fair
The Secretary reported that J. M. Cowan of Cornell University had contacted the Institute to determine whether we would be interested in joining a group of non-profit, educational organizations in forming a holding corporation to acquire and maintain for use as offices the U. S. Pavilion at the site of the New York World’s Fair. Mr. Cowan believes there would be no problem in getting the building and it would be the intention of this so-called holding corporation to lease space at a very advantageous rate. We have told him that the Institute might be interested.
The following motion was made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the Executive Committee approve the Secretary’s action in expressing the Institute’s cautious interest in Mr. Cowan’s proposal.
15. Next Meeting
As previously announced, the next meeting of the Executive Committee will be held at the time of the joint APS-AAPT meetings in the New York Hilton Hotel, on Friday, January 28, starting with breakfast at 8:00 a.m.
16. AIP Services for APS
Mr. Havens said he will need to know by the time of the APS April Council meeting when the Institute will be able to resume maintenance of the APS Divisional mailing lists. Mr. Quimby stated that THE PHYSICAL REVIEW will be split into five or six sections starting in 1967 and he would like to know by April 1 whether AIP can handle it. Mr. Goudsmit said only members will be permitted to subscribe to individual sections – non-members can subscribe only to the entire set.
Mr. Gilbert replied that the staff will study both questions and will have the answers to APS officers by April 1. He said he will probably treat the multiple sections of PR as separate journals.
The meeting adjourned at 12:22 p.m.