December 27, 1938

Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics

Minutes of Meeting

I. The Executive Committee met at the call of the Chairman at 9:10 a.m., Tuesday, December 27, 1938 at the Wardman Park Hotel, Washington D.C.

Present: Chairman Tate, Messrs. Pegram, Richtmyer, and Director Barton, and by invitation Messrs. Hutchisson, and Kelly and Miss Mitchell.

Absent: Messrs. Hardy, Peek and Waterfall.

II. Minutes of Meeting of October 21, 1938:

The Minutes of the meeting of October 21, 1938 were read and after striking out the phrase "while the World’s Fair is in progress next year" in the statement of action about a possible meeting in New York, the Minutes were approved.

III. Cost Accounting Procedure:

On motion it was voted:

that the portion of the cost of manufacturing and distributing the journal that can properly be allocated to advertising should be charged to the advertising department for 1938 and subsequently unless directed to be changed by the Treasurer.

On motion it was voted:

that the Treasurer is empowered to establish cost accounting procedures and to change the same whenever in his judgment it may be desirable in so far as such changes may not be contrary to specific actions by the Executive Committee hereafter.

IV. Budget for 1939:

The Director presented for consideration a sheet showing an estimated schedule of a budget for 1939 which provided for the operation of the Institute through 1939 and for a reduction of $2,900 in the deficit of the Institute all within the estimated income for 1939. In the discussion of the proposed budget the Director pointed out that it provided for continuing Mr. Copp who is in charge of the advertising department at his present salary for three months, to March 31st.

On motion it was voted:

that a Committee on Advertising should be appointed by the Chairman to solicit advertising (and associate members) either directly or with the aid of members to pave the way for an approach by Mr. Copp to obtain advertising and to help make the best practical use of Mr. Copp’s services.

The following committee was appointed: P. K. Richtmyer, Chiarman, M. J. Kelly and P. E. Klopsteg.

V. Discussion of Changes That May Be Desirable in the Set-Up of the Institute, Particularly the Review of Scientific Instruments and the Journal of Applied Physics:

Mr. Barton submitted a draft of a memorandum which it was proposed to send to physicists for the purpose of obtaining opinions as to various questions regarding the journals. A copy of this memorandum, (B), is attached to the Secretary’s copy of the Minutes.

There was general discussion of the question of the journals.

On motion it was voted:

that it was the sense of the meeting that each member of the Executive Committee and guest present should send suggested revisions for the memorandum of the Director immediately (by January 11th) to the Director and that Messrs. Barton, Kelly and Pegram should go over the suggestions and prepare a final draft of the memorandum to be sent out with a letter to some two hundred physicists in order that returns may be obtained for consideration at a meeting of the Executive Committee to be held in February.

VI. Budget for 1939 continued:

Returning to the consideration of the budget it was agreed by the Committee that the R.S.I. would need at least 450 pages instead of 400 as indicated in the budget estimate submitted by the Director and that this would add $600 to the cost of the R.S.I.

On motion it was voted:

that the estimated budget for 1939 be adopted for immediate use and for presentation for final action to the Governing Board at its annual meeting in March, the budget schedule thus adopted being the following:

(note: before the final writing of these Minutes an error had been discovered in one item of the schedule as submitted on December 27th and the Director had pointed out how the error could be balanced by changes in certain other items in such a way as to leave the budget totals unaffected and with the agreement of each member of the Executive Committee the revisions are contained in the schedule as shown.)

VII. The Executive Committee adjourned at 12:20 p.m.