Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
1. The Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics met in the Vanderbilt Suite of the Hotel Biltmore, New York City.
Present: Ralph A. Sawyer – Chairman, S.S. Ballard, Laurence Batchelder, James T. Bergen, E.U. Condon, Malcolm Correll, H. Richard Crane, S.Q. Duntley, Herbert A. Erf, S.A. Goudsmit, W.W. Havens, Jr., A.C. Helmholz, R.B. Lindsay, A.I. Mahan, John C. Miller, Vincent E. Parker, E.R. Piors, S.L. Quimby, Paul M. Routly, Horace M. Trent, Mary E. Warga, Elizabeth A. Wood
Absent: James Hillier, Richard C. Lord, Frederick Seitz, Frank Verbrugge
AIP Staff Present: Elmer Hutchisson, Wallace Waterfall, Mary M. Johnson
Chairman Sawyer called the meeting to order at 1:40 p.m.
2. Minutes
On motion made, seconded and carried, the minutes of the meeting of 21 March 1964 were approved with the following corrections:
- Page 2, Item #6, “Annual Report for 1963” Paragraph 2, Line 1 should read: “Copies of an unaudited financial statement for 1963…”
- Page 5, Item #13, “Report on Plans for Fall Meeting” last line should read: “30 September through 2 October…”
3. Confirmation of Mail Ballot
The Secretary reported that, under New York State law, it is necessary for the Governing Board to confirm the results of the 12 June mail ballot authorizing the appointment of the following officers of the Institute: Ralph A. Sawyer, Acting Director; Wallace Waterfall, Secretary and Acting Deputy Director; Gerald F. Gilbert, Acting Treasurer. Upon motion made and passed, the result of the mail ballot were confirmed.
4. Financial Statement for First Six Months 1964
The Secretary stated that copies of the statement had been sent to all Board members along with an explanatory letter on 27 August (copies of both attached to these minutes). Net income of about $150,000 for the six-months period was unexpectedly high. AIP journals accounted for $60,000 of this. It has been general policy to have the journals break even and two years out of the last five they have shown a deficit. They may again next year as pages and printing costs go up.
Unit costs for subscription handling the editorial mechanics are going down a little. All service operations are going smoothly and the general picture is good at least for the balance of the year.
5. Appointment of Committee to Nominate Chairman, Executive Committee and Directors-at-Large
Upon recommendation of the Chairman, a committee consisting of Messrs. Laurence Batchelder (chairman), A.C. Helmholz, and H. Richard Crane was appointed to nominate a Chairman, Executive Committee and director-at-large of the Governing Board for next year. This committee will be expected to present its report at the spring of 1965 meeting of the Board.
6. Consideration of Recommendations from Assembly of Society Officers
The Chairman reported that no specific recommendations were made to the Board by the Assembly of Officers held on 30 September and 2 October 1964. The only subjects which required action were the suggestion that AIP underwrite the sponsorship of a non-commercial scientific exhibit to the extent of $3,000 to $4,000, which the Secretary said can be included in the 1965 budget; and the question of continued support for the visiting scientists programs in high schools. Mr. Hutchisson described the problems which have beset the programs and, after comments by others, the following resolution offered by Mr. Parker was seconded and passed:
RESOLVED that the AIP inform the National Science Foundation we believe it is in the interest of science in the United States for the professional societies to be involved at the national level with the visiting scientists programs in high schools, working with the state academies where they have visiting scientists programs and endeavoring to get visiting scientists programs into operation where they do not have such programs.
7. Center for Research in the History of Physics
Mr. Hutchisson distributed copies of a prospectus of the proposed Niels Bohr Center for Research in the History of Physics (copy attached to official minutes). He explained that there is a need for a central depository of historical material on physics which will be accessible to scholars, and he suggested possible sources of funds, estimated at $3,400,000. There was a discussion of the proposed building and its relation to the present AIP headquarters. Board member agreed that it would be desirable to explore the matter further, and the following motion was made, seconded and passed without dissent:
MOVED that the staff be authorized to explore further the possibility and desirability of undertaking the construction of a Center for Research in the History of Physics.
8. Commemorative Postage Stamp on Metric System
Mr. Hutchisson reported that 1966 will mark the 100th anniversary of recognition of the use of the metric system in the United States and it had been suggested that AIP endorse the issuing of a commemorative stamp. He proposed the following resolution which was adopted by the Board upon motion made and passed without dissenting vote:
WHEREAS: the 100th anniversary of the legislation which made it “lawful throughout the United States of America to employ the weights and measures of the metric system” will occur in 1966
BE IT RESOLVED: That the Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics at is meeting of 2 October 1964 endorses wholeheartedly the issuing of a commemorative stamp in 1966 on the employment of the Metric System in this country.
The Secretary was directed to send a certified copy of this resolution to the Postmaster General of the United States.
9. Application for Affiliation from the Instrument Society of America
The Secretary reported that the Institute will probably receive an application from the Instrument Society of America for membership as an Affiliated Society. Their Board of Directors meets on 16 October at which time the subject of such an application will be discussed. The Institute has enjoyed excellent relations with ISA over the years and has joined with them in sponsoring three temperature symposia. Inasmuch as the election of Affiliated Societies is a prerogative reserved to the Governing Board, which will not meet again until next spring, the Secretary requested that the Executive Committee be granted authority to act in this instance. The following motion was made, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the Executive Committee be authorized to act favorably if and when an application to become an Affiliated Society is received from the Instrument Society of America.
10. Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Governing Board is scheduled to be held on Saturday, 20 March 1965, at the offices of the Institute.
The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m.