Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
Members Present: P. M. Morse – Chairman, C. B. Duke, W. W. Havens Jr., H. W. Koch, Sidney Millman, J. W. Quinn, N. F. Ramsey
Absent: R. T. Beyer, A. A. Strassenburg
Nonvoting Participants: P. B. Boyce (AAS), Jenny Glusker (ACA), Melba Phillips (AAPT), L. D. Simpson (AAPM)
Guests: J. A. Burton (APS) and Harris Rosenberg, Wilke Davis Associates Design Manager for AIP’s Woodbury Addition, for Item No. 2 – “Report on the Woodbury Addition”
AIP Staff: H. William Koch, Director; Sidney Millman, Secretary; G. F. Gilbert, Treasurer; R. H. Marks, Associate Director for Publishing; Lewis Slack, Associate Director for Educational Services; D. M. Lasky, Assistant to the Director; Mary M. Johnson, Assistant to the Secretary
Chairman Morse called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.
1. Minutes
The minutes of the 22 February and 30 March 1979 Executive Committee meetings were approved.
2. Report on the Woodbury Addition
Harris Rosenberg displayed sketches of the proposed 19,000 square foot addition to the present AIP building at the Woodbury location, noting the insulated corridor, insulation of walls and roof, and the double-glazed windows. Other features include a cafeteria and provisions for a possible addition of a second story, a future elevator, and the extension of the cellar.
The following motion was made by Duke, seconded by Havens, and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the report of the architect be received.
3. Funding for the Addition to the Woodbury Building
Gilbert described the various possibilities for funding the proposed building addition. Aside from getting a conventional mortgage from a bank such as Bankers Trust Company at a fairly high interest rate (11-12%), he called particular attention to the possibility of obtaining tax-exempt financing from the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), with an interest rate as low as 8%, by the issuance of industrial revenue bonds. AIP has applied for such funding and the Nassau County IDA Board, at a special meeting held on 29 May, unanimously approved our application for a Bond Indenture up to $2.9 million. AIP is now looking for a financial institution that would be interested in buying the bonds. A very attractive offer is expected from Guardian Life Insurance, who are interested in acquiring the entire bond issue.
4. APS Plans for a Building Near the Brookhaven National Laboratory
Koch thought that the members of the Executive Committee would be interested in hearing about the plans of APS to put up a building adjacent to the Brookhaven National Laboratory grounds. The APS building plans are of direct interest to AIP since the present AIP plans for an addition to the Woodbury building are based on the assumption that AIP will continue to compose the Physical Review journals at Woodbury. The proposed APS building will have an area of 12,000 square feet and is to house the PR and Physical Review Letters editorial staff, the production of PRL, some R & D on PR, and possibly the production of some PR journals. The building is expected to be completed early in 1980.
5. Telephone Survey re Use of Science Reports by Public Radio Stations
Slack discussed the telephone survey of user radio stations that the AIP Public Information Division conducted. The survey was stimulated by the concerns of some members of the Executive Committee about the lack of hard evidence that the Science Reports we were delivering to public radio stations were actually being used. The report went into considerable detail on the extent the usage and served to remove any lingering reservations about the usefulness of the Science Reports program.
6. Proposal for NSF Support of “Science News Features for Local TV News”
Slack reported that NSF has approved a grant of $141,000 to support the production of Science News Features on TV films. The 12-month project will implement the production and video cassette distribution of 15 TV Science News Features, consisting of three separate series on Energy, Physics in Medicine, and Astronomy and Space, each containing five news features. It is an experiment to make physics a part of local TV news around the country.
After a recess for dinner at the Roosevelt Hotel, the meeting was reconvened at the hotel at 7:00 p.m.
7. Report on the Trip to China by H. W. Koch
Koch showed a very interesting set of slides which he had prepared from the pictures he took on the trip, and discussed four possible agreements with the Chinese. The first proposal deals with encouraging more Chinese to become members of our scientific societies. Koch suggested that, with the approval of the respective Societies, we transmit 100 applications from each of our Member Societies to the Chinese Import Corporation.
The second proposal deals with the use of SPIN and SPIN/Physics Briefs abstracts.
The third proposal deals with the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Physical Society’s translating into English at the same time as they are processing the Chinese Journal of Physics in the Chinese language.
The fourth proposal is to permit the Chinese to make photocopies of our journals. The following motion was made by Quinn and passed without dissent:
MOVED that AIP proceed with extending photocopying and translating rights to the Chinese Academy of Science on the same basis as the USSR agreement now in effect.
8. Report on Activities of Other Societies
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Status of IRS Interactions with Other Societies
Havens reported that IRS has audited the APS books for the years 1975 to 1978 and has confirmed APS’s 501(c)(3) status. Duke noted that AVS has not had any problems since a couple of years ago and has not been audited since, to the best of his knowledge. All of AVS advertising income is considered unrelated business income on which AVS pays tax, and there have been no additional problems. Gilbert reported that AAPT had received a clean bill of health on its 501(c)(3) status; they decided to pay a tax on their unrelated business income. He also reported that SOR was audited and that the young IRS auditor found no problem.
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Report on APS and ASA Executive Meetings
Koch reported that he attended part of the ASA 50th Anniversary meeting in Cambridge, Mass., and talked about his China trip and photocopying of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Koch also reported on his attendance at part of the APS Aspen Executive Committee meeting. That Committee decided to continue the UNIX production text for fiscal year 1980 on PR-B.
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Action of AAPT and AVS on Page Charges
Koch reported that AAPT has decided to discontinue page charges on the American Journal of Physics, effective 1 January 1980, and that AVS was also considering some action on page charges. Duke added that AVS voted to split The Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology into two volumes a year and increase the page output by 20-30%. It plans to reduce page charges from $77 to $50 beginning in 1980.
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Use of AIP Exhibits by Member Societies
Slack reported that the Einstein Exhibit has already been used twice by APS, once by AAS, and once by AAPT. ASA and OSA intend to use it at their respective fall meetings.
The other general exhibit, which was prepared jointly by AAPT and AIP, was used at the National Science Teachers Association meeting in Atlanta. AVS requested use of it at their fall symposium in New York City. Suggestions for future use are at the NSTA regional meeting in Hartford in October, by AAAS in San Francisco next year, and at the next spring meeting of NSTA. Some of the Societies are working on additional career information material for future use in this exhibit.
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Advice to AVS on its Office Procedures at AIP Headquarters
Slack reported that, following a request from AVS, he served on a committee with Jack Singleton, the AVS Secretary, appointed to examine the way the AVS office at our headquarters functions. There might be an advantage to having an office equipment specialist made available through AIP to those Societies who might request such a person to look at their office procedures. A united effort might be advantageous for all the Societies and AIP.
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National Periodicals Center
Koch distributed copies of a letter from Townsend Hoopes, President of the Association of American Publishers, concerning the involvement of the private sector in the establishment of a National Periodicals Center. Koch noted that the U.S. is moving in the direction of establishing such a Center and stated that AIP would like to be the fill source for copies of articles that are ordered from the National Periodicals Center. Payment would be made through a mechanism like the Copyright Clearance Center.
The meeting was recessed at 8:50 p.m., and reconvened at AIP headquarters on the following day at 9:00 a.m.
9. Recommended 1980 Page Charges and Subscription Prices for AIP Journals
Marks called attention to a memorandum, previously distributed, listing the recommended subscription rates for AIP archival and translation journals for 1980. He noted that AIP has not had price increases for about three years, with a couple of exceptions, and we will have to increase these prices to stay in the black. A motion to approve the new subscription rates was made by Havens, seconded by Quinn, and passed without dissent. A list of AIP archival and translation journal subscription rates for 1980 is attached to these minutes as Exhibit A.
10. Proposal for AIP Abstracts Journal
Marks called attention to an attachment, which was included with the agenda, proposing the establishment of a general physics abstracts journal, as recommended by the AIP Committee on Publishing Policy. The original suggestion came from J. A. Burton as a companion to Physical Review Abstracts.
Havens thought that the PR Abstracts journal is desirable more for current awareness than for rapid publication. It is small and it gets around rapidly, including overseas. The proposed journal would serve a similar function, but one could omit abstracts from Applied Physics Letters and The Review of Scientific Instruments. The following motion was made by Havens, seconded by Ramsey, and passed (with Duke abstaining):
MOVED that the proposal for an abstracts journal be referred to the Committee on Publishing Policy for a recommendation by the time of the next meeting of the Executive Committee, with encouragement to look at its potential usefulness to individual members and to libraries, to its effect on the data base, and to come up with a coherent policy for this type of publication by AIP including the possibility of sub-dividing the present Current Physics Index.
11. Expansion of Marketing Arrangements
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Institute of Physics Journals
Marks informed the members of the Executive Committee that AIP has been approached by the British about marketing The Institute of Physics publications in South America. The journals would be shipped from Kennedy Airport by air to a central point such as Brazil.
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Fachinformationszentrum Abstracts
Marks also informed the Committee that the Germans would like AIP to extend the present marketing agreements for the newly established Physics Briefs which now cover the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, to other parts of the world except Europe. The following motion was made by Quinn, seconded by Ramsey, and passed without dissent:
MOVED that AIP be authorized to extend its marketing agreements with FIZ on Physics Briefs to include South America and the Far East.
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AIP Conference Proceedings in Europe
Marks informed the Executive Committee that The Institute of Physics has asked AIP if it would be amenable to having them distribute our Conference Proceedings in Europe. A motion to approve the arrangement to have IOP market the Conference Proceedings in Europe was made by Duke, seconded by Havens, and passed without dissent.
12. Status of Strategic Planning for AIP
Koch called attention to the document on this subject which was mailed to members of the Executive Committee with the agenda for the present meeting. He emphasized the importance of getting the Executive Committee and the Board involved as much as possible. He hoped to arrive at a draft strategic plan for a thorough discussion at a 3-dat meeting of the Executive Committee in September, and presentation to the Governing Board in October.
Referring to the document on strategic planning, Koch noted the 9-page memorandum by Rita Lerner on “Article Literature in the 1980’s.” In her summary, Dr. Lerner noted that there are immediate problems in the pricing and distribution of single articles, and that the most interesting challenge and opportunity lies in the electronic journal as a supplement to our printed journals. He then called attention to the memorandum by Slack dealing with “Demographic Trends,” and asked Slack to discuss some of his findings.
Slack presented some Vu-Graphs describing various demographic trends affecting enrollment of physics students in undergraduate and graduate programs and the requirement of colleges for physics faculty.
13. Proposal for the Physics Section of AAAS to Become an Affiliate of AIP and Related Affiliated Society Matters
Millman reported that AIP has received an application from the Physics Section of AAAS to become an Affiliated Society of the Institute. He noted the similarity between this group and the Division of Physical Chemistry of ACS which is an AIP affiliate. He saw no reason for not presenting the application of the AAAS Physics Section to the next meeting of the Governing Board. There was no objection voiced.
Millman also noted that the Science Museum of Minnesota asked AIP to allow its members to obtain Physics Today at the member rates. He responded with the suggestion that they apply for Affiliated Society membership and, if approved by the Governing Board, their members will be entitled to subscribe to AIP journals at the member rates.
Millman reported that a check on the number of subscriptions to AIP journals by members of our 15 Affiliated Societies disclosed that five of them do not have any members who subscribe to any journal. He was encouraged by the Executive Committee to write to those five organizations (all physics clubs) and ask if they are still interested in remaining Affiliated Societies of AIP.
14. Progress on 50th Anniversary Plans
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Postage Stamp
Lasky reported that AIP has received an acknowledgement of its request to the Postmaster General for a special stamp commemorating American physics. Our request has been referred to a Citizens Advisory Committee which concerns itself with the issuance of new commemorative stamps.
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Handbook
Lasky reported that the committee chaired by David Lide has considered suggestions for handbooks and voted in favor of pursuing the briefcase handbook of about 250 pages, about 100 of which would be devoted to core data of interest to all physicists, with the rest covering subsections of physics. After its issuance as an anniversary handbook, it would be reduced and divided into four or five subdisciplines of vest pocket size books to be sold.
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Logo
Lasky reported that a subcommittee chaired by Herbert Anderson will consult with a professional artist. Perhaps more than one design will be required. The subcommittee has asked for approval to spend up to $5,000 for development of a logo. The following motion was passed without dissent:
MOVED that $5,000 be appropriated to the Director for implementing the 50th Anniversary program.
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Meeting
Lasky reported that dates have been set for a meeting at the National Academy of Sciences headquarters in Washington, 15 and 16 October 1981. She has also secured a hold on 350 rooms at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington.
15. Recommendation of 1979 Independent Auditors by the Audit Committee
Gilbert reported that the AIP Audit Committee met on 1 June to evaluate proposals from four auditing firms: Arthur Andersen, Ernst & Ernst, Main Lafrentz & Co., and Touche Ross & Co. The Chairman of the Audit Committee, Harold Weaver, sent a letter about the committee’s selection to Chairman Morse. Morse then read the letter from Weaver (attached to the official copy of these minutes) stating that it was the committee’s unanimous recommendation that Touche Ross & Co. be appointed AIP’s independent auditors for calendar year 1979. The following motion, made by Havens and seconded by Ramsey, was passed without dissent:
MOVED that the recommendation of the AIP Audit Committee be adopted and that Touche Ross & Co. be appointed AIP’s independent auditors for calendar year 1979.
16. Status of Computerization of Accounting
Gilbert called attention to the latest report by Robert Moynihan, which had been distributed with the agenda, and expressed disappointment with the lack of progress to date in the computerization of accounting. This has been due in part to the small staff available for this project because of the workload involved with closing the books and completing the audited financial statements for 1978. He expected again to make use of accounting students during the summer who will work on a temporary basis. Morse suggested that the Executive Committee should devote part of the September meeting to this important subject.
17. Election of Clairol, Inc., as a Corporate Associate
Lasky reported that Clairol, Inc., a division of Bristol-Myers, has applied to become an AIP Corporate Associate for 1979 at the rate of $500. A motion to elect Clairol, Inc., a Corporate Associate of the Institute was passed without dissent.
18. Status of Annual Corporate Associates Meeting
Lasky reaffirmed the change in date of the next Corporate Associates meeting to 18-19 October, at the General Electric R & D Center in Schenectady. The program will include a tour of the GE Laboratories.
19. Industrial Applications of Physics Award
Lasky reported that AIP is seeking candidates for the second Industrial Applications of Physics Award. An invitation for nominations will be carried in the July 1979 issue of Physics Today. AIP has also sent an announcement to all Corporate Associates representatives. The deadline for filing nominations is 10 August and these should be sent to Roland Schmitt, the chairman of the awards committee for this year. The prize is $5,000.
20. Future Meetings
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Executive Committee would be held on 20, 21, 22 September at Woodbury.
The December (budget) meeting was scheduled for 15 December.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.