Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
I. The Executive Committee met at the call of the Chairman at 9:40 a.m., Thursday, February 24, 1938 at the office of the Institute, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N, Y.
Present: Chairman Tate, Messrs. Peek, Pegram, Richtmyer and Waterfall and Director Barton, also by invitation, Mr. Hutchisson, Editor of the Journal of Applied Physics, Miss Mitchell and Mr. Copp.
Absent: A letter from Mr. Klopsteg expressed his regret at not being able to attend the meeting on account of illness in his family. In reply a telegram was at once sent to Mr. Klopsteg to express the hope of each member of the Committee that his daughter would rapidly recover from her illness.
Mr. Buffum who resigned as Treasurer the resignation taking effect March 8th, was also not present.
II. The Minutes of the Meeting of November 6, 1937 were read and on motion approved.
III. Report of the Chairman:
The Chairman submitted to the members of the Committee copies of the complete audit of the Institute for 1937, which copies were for use only at the meeting because it had been decided to distribute them to the secretaries of the member societies.
IV. Report of the Director:
Mr. Barton, Director of the Institute, submitted a written report, copy of which is attached to these Minutes, and Miss Mitchell furthermore explained certain items in the report by the exhibition of tables and graphs setting forth the growth of the work of the publication department of the Institute year by year.
Following the report of the Director there was discussion of the contents of the JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, and discussion by Mr. Copp of problems of the advertising department.
The Committee adjourned for luncheon at 1 p.m. and reassembled at 2:25 p.m.
Mr. Barton presented the memorandum of Mr. Hutchisson on the subject of arrangements for Round Table Discussion on the Physical Basis of Metallic Properties, which the American Society for Testing Materials had asked the Institute of Physics to sponsor. The first Discussion was held on June 28, 1937 with Professor McKeehan of Yale University as chairman with about two hundred people present. The steering committee for future discussions consists of J. T. Norton, chairman, D.(?) E. Ackerman, E. Hutchisson, H. H. Lester and L. W.(?) McKeehan. This committee met on February 15, 1938 to lay plans for future Round Table Discussions on properties of metals.
V. Budget for 1938:
The Director of the Institute presented a proposed budget which after certain rearrangements and slight revisions of the first draft it was on motion voted:
that the Executive Committee recommend the following budget to the Governing Board for adoption:
| Budget for 1938 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Total | Institute | Advertising | R.S.I. | J.A.P. | J.C.P. |
| Service Charge | $9,000 | $9,000 | ||||
| Associate Mem. | 2,500 | 2,500 | ||||
| Misc. Jobs | 200 | 200 | ||||
| Advertising | 13,500 | 13,500 | ||||
| Journal Subs. | 29,300 | 7,300 | 13,000 | 9,000 | ||
| Net. Published Articles | 3,700 | 650 | 850 | 1,000 | ||
| Net. Single Copies | 1,950 | 450 | 500 | 1,000 | ||
| Total | $60,000 | $11,700 | $13,500 | $8,400 | $14,350 | $12,200 |
| Expense | Total | Institute | Advertising | R.S.I. | J.A.P. | J.C.P. |
| Org. & Educ. | $7,380 | $7,380 | ||||
| Travel | 1,100 | 1,100 | ||||
| Office | 1,880 | 1,880 | ||||
| Printing & Mailing | 29,550 | 8,700 | 13,350 | 7,500 | ||
| Ed. Mech. | 3,040 | 740 | 1,160 | 1,140 | ||
| Outside Ed. | 6,050 | 1,800 | 2,800 | 1,450 | ||
| Bus. Man. | 4,100 | 1,960 | 1,650 | 490 | ||
| *Promotion (circ) | 4,490 | 170 | 4,100 | 220 | ||
| Travel | 500 | 500 | ||||
| Advertising Exp. | 4,000 | 4,000 | ||||
| Misc. | 410 | 200 | 150 | 60 | ||
| Total | $62,500 | $10,360 | $4,000 | $13,570 | $23,710 | $10,860 |
| Profit | -2,350 | 1,340 | 9,500 | -5,170 | -9,360 | 1,340 |
*includes salary and office expense as well as costs for mailing pieces, postage, etc.
VI. Discussion of Methods of Financing the Institute
Since it appears from the audit that even when the Chemical Foundation has made its contribution to cover the 15% service charge based on the cost of the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS the Institute will still be in debt about $21,000 the subject of possible financing was discussed. Mr. Barton stated that he had had conversations with representatives of the Lancaster Press who appeared to be willing to let the Institute go along with a considerable extension of credit with the Lancaster Press, to what extent to be determined by later conferences.
The next suggestion for aid toward carrying the deficit was greater activity in obtaining associates of the Institute which raised the question of a possible lower fee for associate members in order to make it possible for the smaller industrial laboratories to contribute to the work of the Institute.
On motion it was voted:
that the question of revised dues for associate members be referred to the Director and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Applied Physics for report to the next meeting of the Executive Committee.
Mr. Barton stated that the Research Corporation had been approached for a grant or loan, application having been made on February 9th for an amount of five thousand dollars or more.
Mr. Barton reported also that an approach had been made to the Rockefeller Foundation in a conference held between Messrs. Tate, Pegram and Barton and Mr. Weaver of the Foundation, from which conference it appeared that there might be possibility of some aid from the Rockefeller Foundation on the basis of matching such progress as the Institute may make toward balancing its own publication budget.
Mr. Barton stated that enquiries were also being made of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia as to the possibility of a grant.
On motion it was voted:
that the councils of the member societies be approached with the suggestion of a possible loan from each of the Societies; it was also suggested that each of the societies be asked to make payments to the Institute for its publications as rapidly as the costs accumulated or even in advance of the expenditures by the Institute.
After a short discussion of the redistribution of overhead charges in the operations of the Institute it was on motion voted:
that Director Barton should prepare a revised plan of allocation of expenses to be submitted to the Governing Board for action at its next meeting.
VII. Symposium on Pyrometry:
On motion it was voted:
to express approval of proposed plans of the Director of the Institute for conducting a symposium on pyrometry in 1939.
VIII. Employment of Physicists:
There was discussion of the question of enlarging the activities of the Institute in trying to secure employment for physicists. No definite action was taken.
IX. Book on Applied Physics by Professor Harrison:
The result of a mail ballot taken in January, 1938 was a favorable vote of seven members of the Executive Committee, Messrs. Buffum, Klopsteg, Peek, Pegram, Richtmyer, Tate and Waterfall, none opposing, for the following resolution:
Resolved: that the action taken on November 6, 1937, with respect to Professor Harrison’s book be rescinded and that the Chairman be authorized to appoint a subcommittee with power to decide what arrangement for publication of the book shall be made.
with his vote Mr. Richtmyer sent the suggestion that the wording of the last clause might better be "to consider with Professor Harrison arrangement for publication of the book".
Mr. Barton reported that the book by Professor Harrison on physics in industry has been completed, some chapters published, and after very careful consideration by the author and discussions with a committee of the Institute consisting of Messrs. Kelly, Pegram and Barton the author had practically concluded arrangements to have the book published by Morrow Company. Both the McGraw-Hill Company and the John Wiley Company would have been willing to take the book on nearly the same terms but the Morrow contract seemed somewhat better.
X. On motion the Committee adjourned.