September 20, 1979

Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics

Minutes of Meeting

Members Present: P. M. Morse – Chairman, R. T. Beyer, (afternoon of 21 September), C. B. Duke, W. W. Havens Jr., H. W. Koch, S. Millman, J. W. Quinn, N. F. Ramsey, A. A. Strassenburg (21 September)

Nonvoting Participants: Y. H. Pao (MAL) (afternoon of 20 September); M. Strasberg (ASA) (20 September and morning of 21 September)

Guests: Harris Rosenberg of Wilke-Davis Associates, Inc, design consultants, and Harold Rosen of Harold Rosen Associates, consulting engineers, for presentation and discussion of Item 4 – Status of Planning for the Addition to the Woodbury Building

AIP Staff: H. W. 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; M. M. Johnson, Assistant to the Secretary; David Dresia, Manager of the Marketing Division, for Item 6d; Mitchell Koch, Assistant Dir. Of the Publications Div., for Item 6b; Alan Kranz, Manager of Building Facilities, for Item 4; Rita Lerner, Manager of Special Projects, for Item 6d; Audrey Likely, Director of the Public Info. Div., for Item 7b; A. W. K. Metzner, Dir. of the Publications Div., for Items 6c and 6d; Beverly Porter, Dir. Of the Manpower Statistics Div., for Item 7c(i); Spencer Weart, Dir. of the Physics History Division, for Item 7c(ii)

Chairman Morse called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, 20 September.

1. Minutes

The minutes of the 25-26 June 1979 meeting of the Executive Committee were approved after a suggestion by Duke to delete one word from Item No. 8a. Duke commented that the minutes could be made shorter.

2. Function Planning

In his introductory remarks, Koch noted that future planning activities have been reorganized along seven functional lines, divided into two groups: The first four contribute to scientific and technical communication; the remaining three contribute to community affairs. Morse commented that the talks he and Koch had with four of the Member Society Presidents (AAPT, AVS, OSA, ASA) will aid in getting Governing Board approval about the broad categories of activities AIP should be engaged in.

3. Request by APS for a Change in AIP’s Publishing Organization Responsibilities for Publishing Physical Review

Koch reported that, as a result of discussions he had with members of the APS Executive Committee, he will propose to have both the copy editing and composition work for the Physical Review handled by one manager reporting to Marks. This would include the present PR production at Brookhaven for an over-all total of about 30,000 pages annually. This change will be phased in with the move of Editorial Mechanics from 800 Second Avenue in New York City to Woodbury, and with an increase in in-house composition from 55,000 to 70,000 pages per year.

4. Status of Planning for the Addition to the Woodbury Building

  1. Additional Area and Projected Use

    Marks displayed some "blueprints" and explained the proposed addition to the present building. It has provision to accommodate the APS, ATEX, and Videocomp systems. He added that under the new arrangement, the APS system will handle 30,000 pages and the ATEX 40,000 pages.

  2. Changes to Present Building

    Kranz described some of the changes needed in the present building that would best be done at the same time as the addition is being constructed. Rosenberg stated that their studies indicate that solar energy would not pay off for AIP and they have planned for the most energy-efficient system. He also pointed out the disadvantages of an underground building.

    Kranz stated that it is planned to bring in city water, improve ventilation in the present typing area, replace the cooling tower with capacity to handle both buildings, and replace the chiller and piping. Bids specifying completion by October 1980 are being solicited from several contractors and all are prepared to start immediately.

  3. Projected Moving Schedule

    Marks distributed a “Projected Schedule” for the relocation of the Publications Division to Woodbury.

  4. Confirmation of Telephone Ballot re Letter of Commitment Covering Mortgage with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, and Cost Projection

    Gilbert noted that, on 20 July, a telephone ballot of the Executive Committee was conducted with respect to accepting a mortgage commitment of $2.175 million with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America in their acquisition of the tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds issued by the Industrial Development Agency of Nassau County for the building. Unanimous approval was obtained for this mortgage commitment over the telephone and subsequently by mail. A motion to confirm the telephone ballot was made by Havens, seconded by Ramsey, and passed without dissent.

  5. IRS Audit of Unrelated Business Income

    Gilbert informed the Executive Committee that Francis Doman, the IRS auditor who recommended revocation of the AIP 501(c)(3) status, expects to return on 2 October to resume his audit of our unrelated business income arising from advertising.

  6. Recommendations to Governing Board

    Koch suggested that the Executive Committee recommend to the Board that it approve the building design.

5. Administrative Items

  1. Resolution Eliminating Compulsory Retirement at 65 in TIAA-CREF Retirement Plan

    Gilbert called attention to the attachment to the agenda on this item, noting the request to AIP by TIAA-CREF to furnish them with a resolution evidencing compliance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1978 (ADEA ‘78) which generally precludes compulsory retirement from private employment before age 70. The following motion, made by Quinn, was seconded and passed without dissent:

    MOVED that a motion be drafted that provides for compliance of our pension plan with the ADEA ‘78 and provides for the normal retirement age of 65 with termination of contributions by the employer at 65; and that such motion be circulated to the Executive Committee by mail ballot.

  2. Resolution re Bank Deposits

    Gilbert distributed copies of a document entitled “Resolution re Bank Deposits” which, if approved, will be signed and sent to Bankers Trust Company, guaranteeing payment to the bank for any check endorsed by AIP even if it is not specifically identified as the payee, such as checks drawn to a Member Society or a journal. This will expedite the deposit of checks, drafts, and other orders of various checking accounts maintained by AIP. Upon motion made and passed without dissent, the following resolution was adopted:

    WHEREAS, this Corporation has been authorized to accept checks, drafts and other orders for the payment of money to various payees which have been indorsed to the order of this Corporation; and

    WHEREAS, it would serve the best interests of this Corporation to deposit such checks, drafts and other orders for the payment of money in the checking account maintained by this Corporation at Bankers Trust Company.

    NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS

    RESOLVED, that any checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, which are drawn or made payable to various payees, deposited to the credit of any demand deposit on accounts maintained in the name of this Corporation at Bankers Trust Company (herein called the "Bank") and, for the purpose of inducing the Bank to accept such deposits, that any officer of this Corporation is hereby authorized and directed to execute and deliver to the Bank an agreement of indemnity with respect to such deposits in favor of the Bank as may be acceptable to the Bank; said agreement to be in such form and to contain such provisions as such officer shall deem necessary and proper, the necessity and propriety thereof to be conclusively evidenced by his execution and delivery of such agreement.

  3. Forgery of Checks

    Gilbert reported on an unfortunate incident of forgery by an AIP employee.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m. and, following dinner, reconvened at the Holiday Inn of Plainview at 7:25 p.m.

  1. AAPT Action on Advertising

    Koch distributed copies of a letter from AAPT dated 4 September 1979 informing AIP of the Association’s intention to take over the advertising for the American Journal of Physics after the required six months’ notice under our Memorandum of Agreement.

  2. Report on The Journal of Chemical Physics Review

    Koch reported that Robert Parr, Chairman of The Journal of Chemical Physics Review Committee, has submitted a highly favorable report on the operation of that journal. It is planned to go through a review of each of the AIP journals and the next one will probably be The Physics of Fluids.

  3. Latest Agreements with the Soviets

    Marks reported that an agreement has been consummated with the Soviets for them to publish four reprint volumes in four different areas of physics. Practically every article in Physics Today will appear in one or another of these volumes.

  4. Report on Soviet Subscriptions to AIP and Society Journals

    Gilbert distributed copies of a report on Soviet subscriptions to AIP and Society journals for the years 1973 to 1979.

  5. AIP as a Fill Source for the Lockheed Dialog System

    Koch informed the Executive Committee that AIP intends to propose that it become the fill source to the Lockheed Dialog System for AIP and Society journal articles to those who place orders with Lockheed.

  6. Should AIP Withdraw from ANSI Z-39 Subcommittee B

    Koch reported on a problem connected with AIP’s participation in Subcommittee B (Copyright Transfer) of ANSI Standards Committee Z-39 which deals with publishing matters. One of the participants in that subcommittee, the Association of American Publishers, has expressed concern that establishing a standard for copyright transfer forms from the author to the publisher would constitute evidence of antitrust activity. After brief discussion, the following motion was made by Havens, seconded by Duke, and passed without dissent:

    MOVED that AIP withdraw from Subcommittee B of ANSI Standards Committee Z-39.

  7. Request for Special Contribution to ANSI

    Koch reported that AIP has also received a request from ANSI for a special contribution to help continue the work of the Z-39 Standards Committee. A motion that AIP make a special contribution for this purpose was made by Havens, seconded by Ramsey, and defeated unanimously.

  8. Resignation of B. Ancker-Johnson as Director-at-Large of the Governing Board

    Millman reported that he received a letter from Betsy Ancker-Johnson, dated 19 July 1979, resigning as a Member-at-Large of the Governing Board.

  9. Report on Contact with 5 Affiliated Societies

    Millman noted that the Executive Committee in June encouraged him to write to the five Affiliated Societies, all physics clubs, who do not have any members that subscribe to any of the AIP journals, as they may be inactive. He will probably recommend to the Governing Board in October that the two apparently inactive physics clubs be removed from the AIP roster of Affiliated Societies.

  10. Status of Amendment to the AIP Constitution

    Millman reported that three of the Member Societies, the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the Acoustical Society of America, have ratified the amendment which would reduce the size of the AIP Governing Board from the present 34 to 28 members.

  11. Industrial Applications of Physics Award

    Koch reported that the subject awards committee proposed that A. H. Bobeck of Bell Laboratories should receive the 1979/80 Award. The following two motions were made by Havens, seconded by Ramsey, and passed without dissent:

    MOVED that the nomination of A. H. Bobeck to receive the second AIP Industrial Applications of Physics Award be approved.

    MOVED that the Award be presented on Monday, 24 March 1980, at the Awards Session of the American Physical Society meeting at the New York Hilton Hotel.

  12. Photographs of Society Presidents

    Koch asked for an expression of opinions about the replacement of the photographs of Member Society Presidents on the walls of the third floor of the AIP headquarters building. The consensus was to limit the wall photographs to the current and most recent past Presidents.

  13. Appointment of Administrative Review Committee

    Morse suggested that the Executive Committee serve as the Administrative Review Committee, and that it meet in executive session for this purpose at the time of the December meeting of the Executive Committee. Everyone agreed with this suggestion.

  14. Corporate Associates Meeting 1980

    Lasky reported that A. M. Clogston invited AIP to hold its 1980 Corporate Associates meeting at Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill. A probable date for this meeting is 30-31 October.

The meeting was recessed for the evening at 8:30 p.m. and reconvened the following day at the AIP Woodbury building at 9:00 a.m.

6. Publishing Activities

  1. Report on 22 August Meeting of the Publishing Policy Committee

    Marks reported that the Publishing Policy Committee, following up on the request of the Executive Committee, initiated discussion of the use of advance titles and/or advance abstracts. Interest has been expressed by a not-for-profit publisher in producing a reprint book of Physics Today articles, and the Publishing Policy Committee recommended that it be pursued.

  2. Status of Performance of ATEX and UNIX Systems

    Mitchell Koch, Assistant Director of the Publications Division, displayed journals and sample pages of the Graduate Programs Book which are being composed on the ATEX system. He noted that 8,500 pages were produced by AIP on the ATEX system during the first half of this year. The APS UNIX group has composed and published about 2,100 pages during that time. He pointed out that the UNIX system is now backed up by a commercial firm which designs software for that system.

  3. Status of Datapoint System

    A. W. K. Metzner, Director of the Publications Division, stated that the Datapoint system has been used for all of the secondary information products, and photocomposition of those parts of the primary journals which go into the secondary products data base, to date.

  4. Discussion of Publishing and Marketing Reports in Appendices

    Rita Lerner, Manager of Special Projects, discussed some of the highlights of her manuscript on single articles.

    David Dresia, Manager of the Marketing Division, reviewed some of the marketing activities of his Division over the last few years.

  5. Planning for Present and Future Activities

    Koch called attention to a document entitled “AIP Function Planning in 1979,” a revised version of which was distributed at the meeting. The following motion was made by Ramsey, seconded by Havens, and passed without dissent:

    MOVED that the Executive Committee recommend to the Governing Board that the following four functions are appropriate functions for AIP to be engaged in:

    Function I – Publication production services that are cost effective and of high quality.

    Function II – Publication of research and education news and reports that can best be done jointly, rather than singly, by the Societies.

    Function III – Publication distribution and marketing services that are cost effective and of high quality and that maintain the competitive position of AIP and Society publications.

    Function IV – Fiscal accounting and other administrative services that are cost effective and of high quality.

The meeting was recessed for luncheon at 12:10 p.m. and reconvened at 1:20 p.m. following a tour of the Data Processing area.

7. Educational Services Activities

  1. Background of Education Activities at AIP

    Slack noted that, since establishment of the AAPT Executive Office, AIP’s direct activities in education have been confined largely to Society of Physics Students programs and to information collection and dissemination. Our radio and TV programs are AIP’s current principal involvements in public education.

  2. Public Dissemination of Information About Physics and Related Fields

    Audrey Likely, Director of the Public Information Division, summarized some of the activities in her Division such as press releases, radio science reports, and responding to many calls for help from science writers.

  3. Information Collection and Analysis

    1. Presentation of Results of Sample Register

      Beverly Porter, Director of the Manpower Statistics Division, called attention to a book soon to be published covering a study made by her Division on behalf of the American Physical Society on “The Transition in Physics Doctoral Employment, 1960-1990.” She discussed in some detail the recent data base experiment or “sample” register which she has been involved in for the past two years. She is not planning to go beyond the “sample” register until the techniques for conducting such surveys and keeping information up to date have proved successful.

    2. History Activities and Future Plans

      Spencer Weart, Director of Physics History, discussed some of the activities of his Center for History of Physics and noted that more and more people are asking for information about the past.

  4. Proposal to Form a Committee on Public Affairs

    Morse referred to the APS Panel on Public Affairs (POPA) which that Society has found to be successful in a number of ways. One could envision a Committee on Public Affairs (COPA) under the aegis of AIP but under the control of the individual Societies. Each representative would report back to his Society. The following motion was made by Quinn, seconded by Duke, and passed without dissent:

    MOVED that the Executive Committee recommend to the Governing Board approval for the establishment of a Committee on Public Affairs and that it should be the committee's early order of business to come up with a charter as to how its operations will relate to the activities of POPA and other similar Member Society panels, and have this considered by the Executive Committee at its meeting preceding the Governing Board meeting in March 1980.

    Returning to the general topic of discussion at this session, that of functions that contribute to Community Affairs, the following motion was made by Quinn, seconded, and passed without dissent:

    MOVED that the three functions listed below are appropriate functions for AIP to contribute to Community Affairs:

    Function V – Information collection and analysis that make possible self-assessment of the state of the physics-related science community.

    Function VI – Dissemination of reliable information about physics and related sciences to various public groups and institutions.

    Function VII – Liaison activities to provide the organizational means for concerted relations between AIP and the Societies, their members, Government and industry.

8. Fiscal Activities

Gilbert noted the concern expressed by members of the Executive Committee about the late 1978 audit and the slow progress in computerization of accounting. He cited several reasons aggravating the situation such as the loss of personnel due to the move to Woodbury, the disruption due to renovation of the headquarters building, and the change in auditors.

9. Next Meeting

It was thought wise to have a brief meeting of the Executive Committee in Albany prior to the Governing Board meeting scheduled for 19-20 October for the purpose of coming up with a recommendation to the Board about the Woodbury addition.

The date for the December meeting of the Executive Committee was changed from Saturday, 15 December, to Friday, 14 December.

10. Executive Session

At 4:35 p.m., the staff was excused and the Executive Committee met in camera until approximately 5:45 p.m. A report of the executive session, as prepared by H. W. Koch, is attached to the official copy of these minutes.