May 25, 1949

Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics

Minutes of Meeting

Present: George R. Harrison (Chariman), F. Wheeler Loomis, George B. Pegram, Wallace Waterfall

Absent: Paul E. Klopsteg

AIP Staff: Henry A. Barton, Betty Hofstadter, Theodore Vorburger

The Executive Committee met at 9:35 a.m. on May 25, 1949 in the office of the Institute, 57 East 55 Street, New York.

1. Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings of March 12 and March 13, 1949 were approved as distributed.

2. Mail Ballot:

The Secretary reported that at the last meeting of the Committee, the Director, the Chairman, and the Secretary were authorized to sign a contract with ONR providing for the support of the publication of nuclear research in THE PHYSICAL REVIEW, REVIEWS OF MODERN PHYSICS, and Institute journals. In order to begin operation under the contract with the earliest possible issues of our journals, it was desirable to expedite the signing. Accordingly, the contract was reviewed by Messrs. Pegram and Barton, and, through telephone conversations with Messrs. Harrison and Waterfall, Mr. Barton arranged to sign and return the contract. This action was unanimously approved by mail ballot and the Secretary asked that the mail ballot be confirmed. On motion made, and seconded, it was voted unanimously that the mail ballot be confirmed.

3. Reports:

  1. Delegation to Paris Conference. Mr. Barton reported that arrangements have been made under the Institute abstracts contract with ONR for Mr. Dwight Gray to attend the UNESCO International Conference on Science Abstracting in Paris this summer. Mr. Gray will also spend a week in London discussing his study of the abstracts problem with the English group. Mr. Barton also reported that he had asked Mr. Gray to serve as his alternate and representative of the AIP at the Reunion sur les Publications en Physique. The Committee agreed that Mr. Gray should be given the proper credentials as a representative of the Institute.

  2. Arrangements for 1951 Joint Meeting. Mr. Barton reported that most of the Member Societies have indicated that they would participate in a joint meeting in October 1951, the twentieth anniversary of the Institute. Mr. Rimbach plans to arrange an instrument exhibit at the time of the meeting which will help to defray expenses. After some discussion, it was agreed that if possible the Acoustical Society and the Optical Society sessions should be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Institute joint session on Thursday, and the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers on Friday and Saturday. It was agreed that a meeting of Society secretaries should be held early this fall as an initial step in planning this meeting.

  3. Report of the Nominating Committee. Mr. Barton reported that the Nominating Committee had submitted a slate of candidates for the position of Member-at-Large of the Governing Board and that the ballot would be prepared and mailed as soon as the candidates had indicated their willingness to accept nomination. On motion made, seconded, and unanimously carried, the Chairman was authorized to appoint tellers to count the ballots.

  4. ONR Contract. Mr. Barton reported that operation under the ONR contract for publication of research results had begun. It covers material published in the PHYSICAL REVIEW, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS, and possibly REVIEWS OF MODERN PHYSICS, which comprises reports of work in nuclear physics done under the auspices of ONR or AEC or both jointly. The procedure is that AIP submits to ONR all such material for examination – usually as galley proofs – and ONR “requests” publication. The present contract is for $20,800.00 and includes material submitted prior to July 1. The amount presumes publication of 700 pages at $34.00 per page and will be scaled down if fewer are published.

  5. Effort to Replace General Manager. Mr. Barton reported that he had interviewed about forty applicants for the position of General Manager but that he was not ready to make a recommendation to the Committee. It was the consensus of the Committee that the final decision could be deferred until fall but that meanwhile every effort should be made to find qualified applicants.

4. Student Sections:

Mr. Barton reported that a meeting of physics department representatives had been held in Washington to discuss the desirability of establishing student sections of AIP. Messrs. Homer L. Dodge, R. Clifton Gibbs, F. Wheeler Loomis, and Marsh W. White had been appointed to summarize the conclusions reached at that meeting and Mr. Loomis read the report of the committee, copy of which is attached. After considerable discussion regarding the nature of Institute affiliation to be offered to student groups and the financial problems involved, it was the consensus that a model constitution for student sections should be prepared and the following committee was appointed to draw up plans for student sections and report at the next meeting.

  • George B. Pegram, Chairman
  • F. Wheeler Loomis
  • Wallace Waterfall

5. Financial:

 

The Committee reviewed a financial statement of operations for the first three months of the year which indicates a little greater deficit than the budget estimates. No action was taken.

The Assistant Treasurer submitted for the information of the Committee “consolidated” operating statements and balance sheets for the five Member Societies and the Institute. The statement carried a comparison with similar statements of the American Chemical Society.

6. Advertising:

  1. Mr. Barton renewed recommendations that had been made earlier by Mr. Norcross and Mr. Rimbach that the page size of the ad-carrying journals be increased enough to accommodate readily the standard 7” x 10” ad plate. The Committee ordered that the pros and cons of this proposal, financial and otherwise, be assembled for attention at the next meeting.

  2. It was reported that the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the Acoustical Society of America had formally acted to approve in principle the Institute’s proposal to run advertising in certain Society-owned journals. The Optical Society and the Acoustical Society indicated they would like to have their journals take part in the proposed arrangement; the American Physical Society indicated the contrary for their journals.

    Word is awaited from the American Association of Physics Teachers and the Society of Rheology on this matter.

7. Invitation to Dr. Elmer Hutchisson:

The suggestion that Dr. Hutchisson be asked to spend two weeks at the Institute at the latter’s expense during Mr. Barton’s absence this summer was approved.

8. Committee for Instrument Conference in St. Louis:

The following committee was appointed to handle the Institute’s program at the Instrument Conference in St. Louis in September 1949:

  • A. H. Weber, Chairman
  • A. L. Hughes
  • J. M. Mozley
  • V. P. Jacobsmeyer

9. Next Meeting:

 

The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be a two day session on either August 23 and 24 or August 30 and 31. The Secretary was instructed to poll the Committee to determine which would be more convenient.