Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
The Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics met in the Library of the Hotel Roosevelt, New York, N.Y.
Present: Ralph A. Sawyer – Chairman, Arnold B. Arons, S.S. Ballard, John Bardeen, Herbert I. Fusfeld, S.A. Goudsmit, W.W. Havens, Jr., R. B. Lindsay, A.I. Mahan, Robert S. Marvin, Vincent E. Parker, S.L. Quimby, Paul M. Routly, Isadore Rudnick, John A. Sanderson, Robert Shankland, Wallace Waterfall, Elizabeth A. Wood, Clarence Zener
Absent: H.R. Crane, E. Creutz, Melba Phillips, Frederick Seitz, C.H. Townes, Mary E. Warga
Guest: Elmer Hutchisson – Director Emeritus
AIP Staff: H.W. Koch, Wallace Waterfall, Lewis Slack, Mary M. Johnson (G.F. Gilbert – Treasurer was absent because of illness.)
Chairman Sawyer called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.
2. Minutes
Upon motion made, seconded and carried, the minutes of meeting of March 18, 1967, were approved as distributed.
3. Ratification of Mail Ballots
The Secretary reported that two mail ballots had been sent to members of the Governing Board since the last meeting, as follows:
On June 9, 1967, the Executive Committee recommended that a proposed merger of AIP Student Sections and Sigma Pi Sigma (the organization formed by the merger to be called the Society of Physics Students) be approved and a mail ballot of the Governing Board was authorized. The ballot was sent to Board members on August 3, 1967, and favorable replies were received from all but one who did not vote.
Upon motion made and passed without dissent, the result of the mail ballot was confirmed.
In answer to a question, the Secretary reported that action to complete this merger had not yet been taken by Sigma Pi Sigma. Some of their problems which motivated this proposal have been solved but, the Director said, he believes they will ratify the merger.
The Secretary reported that another mail ballot had been sent to Board members on August 24. Its purpose was to determine whether the Governing Board endorsed the views of the Committee on Physics and Society as expressed in a proposed letter signed by John A. Wheeler, Chairman. The proposed letter was addressed to Lt. General L.B. Hershey and concerned the drafting of physics students. Favorable replies were received from all Board members and, upon motion made and passed without dissent, the result of the mail ballot was confirmed.
- Society of Physics Students – Sigma Pi Sigma
- Statement on Draft of Physics Students
4. Financial Statement as of June 30, 1967
The Secretary stated that copies of the financial statement and an explanatory letter were sent to all members of the Governing Board by the Treasurer on September 25. (Copies are attached to these minutes for those who were not included in the original mailing.) The statement was late because journals were late and bills from printers were late. A projection to the end of the year is included and net income is projected at $136,000 whereas it was budgeted at $55,000. The Secretary pointed out that this difference represents only about 2% of our gross income for the year.
5. Report on NSF Audit
Reporting for Mr. Gilbert, the Secretary recalled that it had been reported at the June 9 meeting of the Executive Committee that we were to receive an overhead rate of 16. 78% from NSF for 1967 and for certain grants received in 1966 as a result of their recent audit. We do not yet have their official audit report because of an unresolved question concerning income from back number sales of translation journals for the years 1956 through June 1964, when we operated under the grants. The subject of back number sales was not covered in the grants and we anticipate the question will be settled by negotiation. We have asked NSF and they have agreed to send us their official audit report with the reservation that the question of income from back number sales of journals translated under the grants will be resolved separately.
6. Revision of AIP Constitution and Contract with Societies
At the Assembly of Society Officers and Governing Board members earlier in the day, the Secretary had described proposed changes in the AIP Bylaws and the reasons for them. The most important change is in the method of support from member organizations. At present, the Member Societies pay 10% of their dues annually but, inasmuch as dues vary so greatly from one Society to another, the amounts paid to the Institute range from 64c to $2.11 per member. It is felt this is not equitable as all members benefit equally from the services of the Institute and so it is proposed that there be a member assessment of $1.00 per year instead. In addition, the revised Constitution provides for a financial handling charge, not to exceed 1% per year, on the monetary value of business done by the Institute on behalf of each Society. The Secretary pointed out that had we collected funds from the member
Societies under the proposed new system for 1966, the amount received would have been less than was actually received through 10% of dues.
The other changes are:
- To make the Chairman and the Director automatically members of the Governing Board and Executive Committee, the former with a vote on both, and the latter to have a vote on the Board only.
- To specify that the voting members of the Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairman and six other current members of the Board of whom at least four shall be Board members elected by Member Societies.
- To change the date of the annual meeting from February to “February or March.” This will give us more time to prepare the necessary year-end financial reports.
Mr. Ballard made the following motion, which was seconded and passed by a show of hands indicating 17 members in favor and none opposed:
MOVED that the proposed new Constitution is ratified, the Rules will have to be changed to conform with some of the new procedures, but this can be done by the Board alone and does not require approval by the Member Societies.
At the aforementioned Assembly, the Secretary had also explained proposed changes in the service contract between the Institute and each Member Society. These changes are designed to give details of procedures used in calculating the financial handling charge. The new Article III makes it incumbent upon the Institute to furnish to each Society periodic financial statements and other reports.
Mr. Quimby made the following motion which was seconded and passed by a show of hands indicating 17 members favored it. Mr. Goudsmit abstained because, he said, he was not present for the discussion:
MOVED that the proposed new service contract between the Institute and each Member Society be approved and submitted to the Member Societies for their approval, with the following addendum to Article I, Section 2, Paragraph b:
“It shall notify the Society promptly of any existing or anticipated circumstance that will increase significantly the per-page cost of producing the journal.”
Mr. Mahan questioned the meaning of “advertising agency discounts” on Pages 3 and 4. After the Secretary explained, it was agreed to change the wording to “the advertisers’ agents.”
(Copies of the proposed Constitution and service contract, as approved by the Governing Board, are attached to the official copy of these minutes.)
The Secretary stated that the revised Constitution will be adopted if four Member Societies have approved it and not more than one has rejected it within one year from the date on which it is sent to the Societies for action. (The proposed new Constitution and contract were sent to the Secretary of each Member Society on October 6. ) In answer to a question, the Secretary informed Mr. Marvin that a Board member cannot be represented at a meeting by proxy but, if he is unable to attend, the Board may permit him to designate an observer with the understanding that he will not be entitled to vote.
7. Affiliated Societies
The Secretary reported that the Executive Committee, at its meeting on June 9, recommended that the subject Group be elected and Affiliated Society of the Institute. Upon motion made and carried, the Nuclear Science Group of IEEE was elected an Affiliate Society, effective immediately.
The Secretary reported that the Executive Committee, on June 9, had discussed an application from the American Chemical Society Division of Physical Chemistry but had deferred action in view of rumors about the possibility of a merger with the APS Division of Chemical Physics. Mr. Havens said there had been such a proposal at one time but the prospect of a merger seems very remote no\v. In the discussion which followed it was the consensus that the reduced rates on AIP journals to members of
Affiliated Societies 'vas a primary factor behind this application. It was pointed out that many members of the Division of Physical Chemistry are also members of the Division of Chemical Physics and, if the former were to become an Affiliated Society of the Institute, some of these people might resign their membership in APS. Mr. Quimby made the following motion which was seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the request for affiliation from the ACS Division of Physical Chemistry be tabled.
At the meeting of Society officers and Governing Board members held in the morning, the Director had distributed copies of a draft of proposed criteria for various classes of AIP membership. This was prepared as the result of a request at the last Executive Committee meeting that some formal criteria for Affiliated Societies be established. The Director asked Board members to study the draft and write him their suggestions.
- Application from Nuclear Science Group of IEEE
- Application from Division of Physical Chemistry of ACS
- Criteria for Election of Affiliated Societies
8. Status of Society Action on Use of Funds from Journal Abstract Charge
The Director recalled that the Executive Committee, on June 9, had authorized the Institute to use surplus funds from the $10 abstract charge on AIP journals for its information program and to ask the Societies for permission to use surplus funds collected on Society journals for this purpose. He reported that to date one society, the American Vacuum Society, had taken action on this request and had approved it.
Mr. Havens said the APS Executive Committee will recommend to their Council that this proposed be approved for 1968, subject to annual review thereafter.
9. Transfer of Ownership of JMP and PF to the American Physical Society
The Secretary reported that APS had expressed interest in taking over ownership of the JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS and THE PHYSICS OF FLUIDS with the idea of possibly integrating them into THE PHYSICAL REVIEW. On June 9, 1967, the Executive Committee recommended that the Governing Board authorize the transfer of ownership of these two journals to APS, effective with the January 1969 issues, with the understanding that APS would either pay AIP $10,000 for the back number inventory of each journal or that AIP would retain the inventories for three years and then turn the remainder over to APS at no charge. The Secretary said such a transfer would be in keepin3 with our philosophy that it is appropriate for a Society to take over any publication bearing on its field of interest, and the following motion was made by Mr. Waterfall, seconded and passed without dissenting vote:
MOVED that the Institute be authorized to transfer to the American Physical Society ownership of JMP and PF under the terms and conditions described above, effective with the issues of January 1969.
10. Report of Property Committee
The Secretary stated that the Property Committee has accumulated an extensive file on properties for sale or for rent in the central l1anhattan area as well as in outlying locations. We are keeping in close touch with the situation regarding the adjacent property occupied by Metallic Arts Company which has been tied up in litigation since the death of the owner and we have made a tentative offer of $600,000 for it.
The next most attractive property is a 16-story building on 45th Street between Second and Third Avenues which contains 120,000 square feet and which is being offered at 3 ¼ million dollars. Remodeling would cost another 1-3/4 million, for a total of 5 million dollars.
In the meantime, it is very clear that we will have to rent more space in the neighborhood and we are hoping to have another 5,000 to 10,000 square feet before March 1968.
At its meeting on September 20, the Property Committee reaffirmed its position that the long-range plan should be to build or buy a building in mid-Manhattan adequate to house the entire staff for a number of years.
11. Contribution to NAS Auditorium
The Chairman stated that this subject had been discussed at the Governing Board meeting last March and again at the Executive Committee meeting in June. The American Chemical Society has contributed $50,000 and, in the discussion which followed, it was pointed out that it would seem appropriate for the Institute to make a contribution in view of the fact that the President of the Academy, Frederick Seitz, is a physicist, a former Chairman of our Governin3 Board, and currently a member of the Board. The following motion was made by Mr. Ballard, seconded and passed:
MOVED that, as the appropriate representative of the physics community of the country, the Institute make a contribution of $10,000 to the new NAS auditorium, the time and manner of this gift to be decided by the staff.
12. Appointment of Committee to Nominate Chairman, Executive Committee and Director-at-Large for 1968
Upon recommendation of the Chairman, a committee consisting of Messrs. Lindsay (chairman), Townes and Arons was appointed to nominate a Chairman, Executive Committee and director-at-large of the Governing Board for the year beginning after the March 1968 meeting of the Board.
The Secretary said he would send pertinent background information to the Committee which will be expected to present its report at the Board meeting in March 1968.
13. Future Meetings
The following dates were proposed and agreed upon for future meetings:
Executive Committee – Tuesday, December 19, 1967 (changed from December 16)
Executive Committee – Thursday, February 1, 1968 (breakfast – Chicago)
Annual Meeting – Friday, February 23, 1968
Executive Committee – Friday, March 22, 1968
Governing Board – Saturday, March 23, 1968
The meeting adjourned at 2:35 p.m.