Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
1. The Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics met in the Madison Room of The Hotel Roosevelt, New York, New York.
Members Present: Ralph A. Sawyer – Chairman, Arnold Arons, John Bardeen, Robert T. Beyer, Joseph A. Burton, H.R. Crane, Herbert I. Fusfeld, W.W. Havens, Jr., W. Lewis Hyde, Karl G. Kessler, H.W. Koch, R.B. Lindsay, Robert N. Little, A.I. Mahan, G.C. McVittie, Robert G. Sachs, Frederick Seitz, Mary E. Warga, Wallace Waterfall, A.E. Whitford, Clarence Zener
Absent: Luis W. Alvarez, Stanley S. Ballard, Ronald Geballe, S.A. Goudsmit, J.E. Goldman, Gerald Holton, G.A. Jeffrey, Thor L. Smith
Guests: Elmer Hutchisson – Director Emeritus, Elizabeth A. Wood (representing ACA)
AIP Staff Present: H.W. Koch, Wallace Waterfall, G.F. Gilbert, Lewis Slack, Mary M. Johnson
Chairman Sawyer called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.
2. Minutes
Upon motion made, seconded, and carried without dissent, the minutes of the March 22, 1969, Governing Board meeting were approved as distributed.
3. National Information System for Physics
The Director began his discussion of the proposed National Information System for Physics by distributing copies of Attachment A which gives background information about previous presentations to the Governing Board and concludes with a suggested resolution in which the Governing Board would give specific endorsement to the latest proposal to the National Science Foundation in which NSF is requested to provide a total of 4.7 million dollars for the period beginning March 1970. The Director also distributed copies of Attachment B which contained a chronology of events leading to the latest NSF proposal.
The Director said he had attended many meetings during the past year at which the mounting product in of scientific literature had been discussed and the consensus was that some methods must be developed whereby the users of such material can cope with the flood and find the specific information needed. All disciplines as well as the large Government laboratories are working on the problem. It appears mandatory that AIP develop an information system for physics or others may develop a system for us which is not to our liking. In developing an AIP system for physics the staff has worked closely with an advisory committee consisting of representatives of the Member Societies and we believe the system we are developing is responsive to the needs of the Societies and their members. The needs of younger members have been given particular attention because they are the ones on whom the future development of physics depends. The Director also called attention to Attachment C which contains comments on the AIP information program excerpted from a SATCOM report.
Following the Director's presentation a number of questions were asked by Board members. One of these was whether AIP is competing for NSF funds which might otherwise go to research programs. It was pointed out that NSF has already divided available funds between information programs and research programs so that AIP's request is competing only with other information programs. Another question was whether AIP is committing any of its own funds to the information program and the Director replied that the program is to be completely financed with NSF money. One Board member asked whether the development of the AIP information program might eventually lead to the discontinuation of all AIP archive journals as we now know them. The Director answered that continuation of the present archive journals either in paper copy or microfilm is a basic part of the plan even though there may be a substantial reduction in the number of copies produced and distributed. In discussing the ultimate result of the program the Director indicated he expected NSF support to drop to zero in approximately four or five years as saleable products are developed and from then on the information program should be self-supporting.
After some further discussion the following suggested motion was made by Mr. Seitz, seconded by Mr. Arons, and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the AIP Governing Board endorse the proposed program for a National Information System for Physics for 1970-1972. It urges the financial commitments by NSF associated with AIP’s proposals, totaling 4.7 million for the three-year period beginning March 1970, that will permit the staffing and execution of the program.
4. Tax Reform Bill
The Chairman recalled that, earlier in the day, he had read to the Assembly of Society Officers a copy of the letter he had sent to Senator Russell B. Long in which he had stated the Institute's position with respect to the tax reform bill now before Congress. He said that copies of the letter would be sent to all Society officers as requested.
5. Recommendations from Assembly
At the Assembly of Society Officers earlier in the day the Director had explained the difficulties of finding funds for some of the general activities of the Institute and had suggested that Societies might be charged for some of the services which AIP provides in connection with their meetings. Specifically, he had asked whether the Societies would be willing to pay for AIP's out-of-pocket expenses in providing press rooms and placement registers at Society meetings. The Director said that the consensus appeared to be that such charges would not be favored and, instead, Society officers had suggested that the present $1.00 per member assessment provided by the new by-laws might be increased. The Director said that the staff would study the matter and bring a proposal back to the Board. It was pointed out that the $1. 00 per member charge is written into the by-laws and any change would require action by the Governing Board and then action by the governing bodies of the individual Societies.
6. Application for Affiliation from The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc.
The Secretary gave the background history on this Society's application for affiliation as reported in Item 11a. of the minutes of the September 29, 1969, meeting of the Executive Committee. He also said that the Executive Committee had recommended to the Governing Board that the app1ica ion of the Society not be accepted on the basis that there did not appear to be enough community of interest between the Society and AIP. The following motion was then made, seconded, and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the application from The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc., for affiliation with AIP not be accepted.
7. Nominations
Frederick Seitz, Chairman
Arnold Arons
Karl G. Kessler
The Chairman said that the hose named had agreed to serve and that a report would be expected from them at the March 1970 meeting of the Governing Board. He also said that the Secretary would provide members of the committee with the necessary information.
The Chairman said that AIP had again been asked to transmit suggestions for membership on the National Science Board. He requested that any recommendations be sent to the Director.
- Committee to Nominate Chairman, Secretary, Executive Committee and Member-at-Large of the Governing Board:
- Member of National Science Board
8. Future Meetings
- Executive Committee – Friday, December 19, 1969
- Executive Committee – Wednesday, January 28, 1970 (Breakfast-Palmer House)
- Executive Committee – Friday, March 20, 1970
- Annual Meeting – Saturday, March 21, 1970 (9:30 – 10:00 a.m.)
- Governing Board – Saturday March 21, 1970 (beginning at 10:00 a.m.)
9. Translation Journal Inventory
The Secretary recalled that the AIP controversy with NSF on this subject had been discussed at the September 1968 meeting of the Governing Board. He also gave the history of recent negotiations with NSF as reported in Item 7 of the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting of September 29, 1969. The Secretary said that, after consideration of all the facts, the Executive Committee had authorized the staff to offer NSF $53,000 in settlement of the translation journal inventory matter with the understanding tha.t such payment would close the audit and give AIP a clean bill of health for the period prior to December 3 1, 1966. Governing Board members appeared to agree with the action taken by the Executive Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m.