Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
The Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics met at the Sheraton Russell Hotel, Park Avenue at 37th Street, New York City, on Friday evening, 30 March, and at the Offices of the Institute in New York City on Saturday, 31 March 1979.
Members Present: P. M. Morse – Chairman, H. L. Anderson, A. A. Bartlett, R. T. Beyer, P. B. Boyce, *L. M. Branscomb, W. F. Brinkman, *A. M. Bueche, J. A. Burton, R. B. Clark, C. B. Duke, H. Frauenfelder, L. W. Fredrick, J. B. Gerhart, R. M. Grant Jr., W. W. Havens Jr., I. J. Hirsh, R. W. Hoffman, H. W. Koch, I. M. Krieger, A. I. Mahan, S. Millman, J. Ovadia, J. W. Quinn, N. F. Ramsey, A. L. Schawlow, W. J. Smith, M. Strasberg, A. A. Straasenburg, D. Williams
Absent: B. Ancker-Johnson, W. A. Fowler, E. A. G. Shaw, H. G. Weaver, R. A. Young
Nonvoting Participants: R. D. Burbank (ACA), *M. B. Monroe (AAPT), R. G. Fuller (AAPT), M. B. Penny (AAPT), S. W. Boercker (AAPT), R. P. Bauman (AAPT)
*Present for the Saturday session only.
Guests: E. L. Brady, Chairman of the Committee on Public Education and Information, and J. N. Howard, Chairman of the Committee on Publishing Policy, for the Friday evening session.
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 General Activities; Dorothy M. Lasky, Assistant to the Director; Mary M. Johnson, Assistant to the Secretary; David W. Kraft, Director of Manpower Placement for Item No. 10 – Report on the Initiation of Strategic and Operational Planning
Chairman Morse called the Friday evening session to order at 7:45 p.m. and introduced the new members who were present: Messrs. Boyce, Grant, Smith and Schawlow. He noted that there were two other new members of the Board, Messrs. Shaw and Weaver, who had been unable to attend.
1. Minutes
There were no comments on the minutes of the previous Board meeting held on 30 September 1978, and they were approved as distributed.
2. Report of Chairman
Morse noted the recent ruling of the National IRS Office confirming AIP's 501(c)(3) status, and the highly successful move of part of the AIP staff to the Woodbury location.
3. Reports from Chairpersons of AIP Committees
-
Committee on Public Education and Information
Brady reported on the recent activities of the Committee on Public Education and Information, citing steps taken to improve communications with the public information activities of the 9 Member Societies, discussion of the series of science reports for public radio stations, and some of the ideas that were generated at a workshop held on 12 October 1978 concerning long-range planning.
-
Committee on Publishing Policy
Howard reported on some of the activities of the Committee on Publishing Policy, including exploration of possible new journals, and on the need for assessing the relative merits of the ATEX versus the UNIX systems for computerized photocomposition of scientific journals. In order to expand the publishing capacity of the present ATEX system, the following motion, made by Havens, was passed:
MOVED that the purchase of additional keyboard capacity and another disk drive for the ATEX system, at a total cost of $39,000, be approved.
-
Audit Committee
Strassenburg reported that the Audit Committee had recommended that AIP consider changing auditors for 1979. The following motion was made and passed:
MOVED that the Governing Board empower the Executive Committee to hear the Audit Committee's presentation and analysis of the bids, and on the basis of the information presented, appoint the auditors for 1979.
4. Preliminary Plans for AIP's 50th Anniversary
Anderson called attention to the report of the Committee to Plan AIP 50th Anniversary Celebration containing the following recommendations:
- A 2-day celebration to be held in Washington at the National Academy of Sciences (either 15-16 October or 23-24 September 1981);
- The appointment of a subcommittee to develop a special small physics handbook;
- The appointment of a subcommittee to propose the theme, detailed form, and content of an historical exhibit;
- The appointment of a subcommittee to locate a suitable professional designer to produce one or two designs for a new AIP logo.
The following motion was then made and passed:
MOVED that the above proposals be approved, and that the Chairman be authorized to appoint the recommended subcommittees.
Morse appointed the following subcommittees:
Subcommittee on an Anniversary Physics Handbook
- D. Lide, Chairman
- H. L. Anderson
- H. Frauenfelder
- L. W. Fredrick
- J. N. Howard
- M. Strassberg
- R. H. Marks
Subcommittee on 1981 Historical Exhibit
- P. Forman, Chairman
- W. A. Fowler
- F. Oppenheimer
- A. A. Strassenburg
- J. N. Warnow
- S. Weart
Subcommittee to Recommend a New AIP Logo
- H. L. Anderson, Chairman
- R. B. Clark
- R. R. Wilson
5. Status of Renovation of AIP Headquarters Building
Marks reported that the renovation of the headquarters building is proceeding on schedule. He also informed the Executive Committee on the setting up of a new organizational unit at AIP called the Building Services Office headed by Alan Kranz who has been actively involved in the Woodbury building renovation, and now at headquarters. He will also monitor the proposed addition at Woodbury.
6. Proposed Woodbury Addition
Marks called attention to the need for additional working space in the Woodbury building to accommodate the activities now carried on at 800 Second Avenue in 15,000 square feet of leased space. The proposed new wing will add 19,000 square feet and would include a new cafeteria, increased storage space, and an allowance for some future growth.
Gilbert commented on the needed outside financing for the Woodbury addition and said that he is exploring possible mortgage sources.
The following motion was made by Duke and passed:
MOVED that the expenditure of $1.3 million dollars for the 19,000-square-foot addition to the Woodbury building be approved, with the understanding that the final design plans will be submitted to the Governing Board for approval in the fall of 1979.
A MOTION was also passed encouraging the management to look into energy conservation features, including solar energy, even if the initial costs are not the lowest.
The meeting was recessed at 9:50 p.m. and reconvened on the following day at 9:10 a.m.
7. Report of Nominating Committee
Beyer, reporting for Karplus, called attention to the previously distributed roster of nominations for new committee members. Beyer noted that Morse had expressed willingness and interest in serving for one more year as Chairman of the Board. The Nominating Committee therefore recommended that next year's Nominating Committee initiate early a search for a suitable successor to Morse.
Ovadia proposed that the number of members of the Committee on Manpower be increased by one and that a representative from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine be added. The following motion was passed without dissent:
MOVED that Ovadia be added to the Committee on Manpower for a 3-year term to 1982.
The following motions were also passed:
A MOTION by Havens to add R. B. Clark to the Committee on Manpower for a 3-year term to 1982.
A MOTION by Ramsey to add R. M. Grant, Jr., to the Committee on Publishing Policy for a 3-year term to 1982.
The nominations for Director-at-Large received some special attention since this was the only position for which two candidates were nominated: Professor Mildred Dresselhaus of M.I.T. and Dr. Yih-Ho Pao, President of Flow Industries, Kent, Washington. On the basis of a secret ballot, Yih-Ho Pao was elected a Director-at-Large of the Governing Board for a 3-year period to 1982.
The following motion for the committee roster as a whole was made and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the report of the Nominating Committee (which included Millman as Secretary), as amended by the suggested additions of Ovadia, Clark, and Grant as noted above, be accepted; and that the Chairman and Director be authorized to make any necessary appointments in the interim between meetings of the Governing Board.
Chairman Morse then announced the appointment of the chairpersons of the various committees. A list of AIP committees for 1979, as approved by the Board, is attached to these minutes as Exhibit A.
Morse called attention to the need for appointing a committee on the Prize for Industrial Applications of Physics to select the 1979 recipient of this prize. Since this award is made every two years, the award after the next one will be made in 1981. For the 1979 award, Morse proposed the appointment of the following committee:
- Roland W. Schmitt, Chairman
- Charles B. Duke
- H. J. Gomberg
- A. M. Clogston
- H. W. Koch, ex officio
A MOTION to approve Morse's nominations was made by Bartlett, seconded and passed without dissent.
8. Report of Annual Corporation Meeting
Morse reported that he was elected chairman of that meeting and that all of the Societies were represented by proxy. No new Member Society was elected. A resolution was passed to amend the Certificate of Incorporation to raise the limit of Board members from 35 to 40, to allow flexibility. Reports of the Director and Treasurer, and on the make-up of the Board for the coming year (except for the Director-at-Large that was just elected) were presented.
9. Proposal to Reduce the Size of the AIP Governing Board
Millman reviewed briefly the history of this subject, noting that at the September 1978 Board meeting the Board voted to proceed first with a change in the AIP Certificate of Incorporation to increase the upper limit on the number of representatives from 35 to 40. The Board also directed the Secretary to ask the Presidents of all nine Member Societies to sound out their respective governing bodies as to whether they would favor a formula devised by the Secretary for presentation to this March 1979 Board meeting with sufficient advance notice. The result of this informal sounding out by the Secretary was that all nine Member Societies favored the proposed change, although the vote by the American Association of Physics Teachers was reported to have been quite close.
Havens MOVED that the following changes, as proposed by the Secretary, be submitted as an amendment to the Constitution:
| New Formula | Present Formula | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Society Membership | No. of Directors | Society Membership | No. of Directors |
| Up to 2000 members | 1 | Up to 2000 members | 1 |
| 2001 to 5000 members | 2 | 2001 to 3500 members | 2 |
| 5001 to 9000 members | 3 | 3501 to 5000 members | 3 |
| 9001 to 15000 members | 4 | 5001 to 8000 members | 4 |
| 15001 to 23000 members | 5 | 8001 to 12000 members | 5 |
| 23001 to 33000 members | 6 | 12001 to 17000 members | 6 |
| 33001 to 45000 members | 7 | 17001 to 23000 members | 7 |
| 23001 to 30000 members | 8 | ||
| Over 30000 members | 9 | ||
In addition to the directors elected as aforesaid, the Governing Board shall elect two directors who shall be known as directors-at-large. (This is a decrease from the present three.)
An amendment to the above MOTION to change the number 9000 to 8000 and, correspondingly, 9001 to 8001 was defeated; whereupon the original MOTION was passed by a vote of 23 in favor, 5 opposed, and 1 abstaining.
Millman next suggested that the Board consider other desirable changes in the wording of the Constitution to be incorporated in the proposed amendment. The changes he was proposing were "technical" rather than substantive. Morse then read a letter from Karplus in which the latter had proposed a Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, whereupon Branscomb made the following motion which was seconded and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the Board limit the presently proposed amendment to the AIP Constitution to Article VII, and appoint a Committee on Constitution and Bylaws with the members to be named by the Chairman.
Morse then named the members of this Committee on Constitution and Bylaws as follows:
- H. Richard Crane, Chairman
- W. W. Havens, Jr.
- Robert Karplus
- J. R. Knox
- Lewis Slack
In the light of the appointment of this new committee, it was felt that the changes Millman envisioned would better be presented as a recommendation of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws.
10. Report on the Initiation of Strategic and Operational Planning
In his introductory remarks, Koch emphasized his intention of getting the Governing Board involved in the longer range strategic planning and invited suggestions about ways in which members of the Board can become involved in planning and how the staff can work with the Executive Committee. He cited the day-and-a-half meeting of the Executive Committee scheduled for June, and a possible August Executive Committee meeting. One outcome of these two meetings might be a draft of a strategic plan to be presented at the fall meeting of the Governing Board, and this could affect the operational plans for the coming year normally presented to the Executive Committee in December.
Koch then introduced David Kraft, Director of Manpower Placement, who has been assisting Koch with the planning effort. In his brief review of the various services AIP provides for the Member Societies, Kraft pointed to some that need to be reexamined, and to the need for following current trends in order to predict the proper mix of products that AIP may be called upon to deliver, e.g., journals versus reprints of single articles.
The following motion was then made by Koch, seconded by Bueche, and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the Board approve the development by the AIP management of tentative strategic plans and operational plans for AIP, as outlined in the Director's presentation, with the intention of coming up with a draft of a strategic plan to be submitted to the Governing Board at its fall 1979 meeting.
11. Annual Report for 1978 and Authorization to Publish in Physics Today
Koch pointed to the draft of the Director's annual report for 1978 which had been distributed prior to the meeting and made the following motion which was seconded and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the Director's report to the Board be adopted as the Annual Report for 1978 to Members, and that authorization be granted for its publication in Physics Today.
12. Financial Report for 1978
Gilbert distributed an "Estimated Summary Statement of Operations" for the year ending 31 December 1978. He noted that the AIP audit for 1978 was still in progress and that, when completed, both the Treasurer's Report and the Auditors Report for 1978 will be sent to all members of the Governing Board.
13. Financial Handling Charge for 1980
Gilbert pointed out that the Bylaws of AIP provide that the Member Societies shall pay to the Institute a financial handling charge not to exceed one per cent of the business done in their behalf by the Institute. This charge was set at five-eighths of one per cent (0.625%) for 1979, and the Executive Committee at its meeting the previous day recommended that it be set at the same rate for 1980. A MOTION to approve the recommendation of the Executive Committee was passed without dissent.
The meeting was recessed at 12:15 for luncheon and a group photograph, and reconvened at 1:15 p.m.
14. Acknowledgment of ASA and SOR 50th Anniversaries in 1979
Millman called the Board's attention to the fact that two of the Member Societies, the Acoustical Society of America and The Society of Rheology, are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year and invited suggestions for recognizing these events. The consensus was that articles in Physics Today, possibly accompanied by cover illustrations, would be appropriate.
15. Response to Mayor Koch on AIP Contribution to New York City
Koch called attention to the second letter AIP received from Mayor Koch asking for some modest contribution to New York City, and to the reply he made to the Mayor citing the principles upon which the AIP tax-exempt status was upheld and the influence AIP operations has on attracting visitors to New York City and providing jobs for New York City residents.
16. Future Meetings
-
Comments by R. A. Young of ACA
Millman called attention to a letter R. A. Young had written to Chairman Morse pointing out that the present meeting of the Board conflicted with the American Crystallographic Association general meeting, making it very difficult for any ACA officer to attend the Governing Board meeting. It was noted, however, that ACA was represented by Robinson D. Burbank, a former President of ACA, as a nonvoting participant. Millman added that AIP will, from here on, try to obtain an advance schedule of dates of all Member Society general meetings when the dates for future meetings of the Governing Board are discussed.
-
Fall 1979 Meetings
Based on the established tradition of having the fall meeting of the Governing Board in the same location as the annual meeting of the Corporate Associates, scheduled this year for 27-28 September at the General Electric Company in Schenectady, it was decided to schedule the Board meeting for Saturday, 29 September, at Schenectady. (NOTE: Subsequently, our host indicated a desire to change the dates for the Corporate Associates meeting to 18-19 October, and the date for the Governing Board meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday, 20 October.)
-
Spring 1980 Governing Board Meeting and Assembly of Society Officers
Morse raised the question of scheduling an Assembly of Society Officers at the time of the 1980 spring meeting of the Governing Board. He recalled that it served as an information vehicle. If the Institute were encouraged to use it for that purpose, a program could be developed. Morse added that, if travel expense is a factor limiting participation by some Society officers, he would suggest that AIP might pay the travel expenses for one or two officers from each Society; whereupon the following motion was made by Clark and passed by a vote of 15 in favor and 9 opposed:
MOVED that AIP be authorized to pay travel expenses of two officers from each Member Society who do not serve on the Governing Board to attend a future Governing Board meeting.
The proposed to schedule the spring Governing Board meeting for 28 and 29 March 1980 elicited no objection.
17. National IRS Office Decision on AIP Tax Exemption Appeal
Koch informed the Board that AIP now has an official letter from the IRS National Office, dated 1 March 1979, reaffirming AIP's 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
18. Traveling Exhibit
Strassenburg called attention to the traveling exhibit which was constructed by AIP along the lines of an earlier suggestion by AAPT. It was very successfully displayed at the Atlanta meeting of the National Science Teachers Association the previous week. He invited other Societies to contribute scientifically or educationally to this exhibit. AAPT is willing to pay its fair share but would like other Societies to contribute as well. The exhibit could be displayed at future meetings of NSTA, AAAS (about which Arthur Herschman should be contacted), or other organizations.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m.