November 6, 1937

Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics

Minutes of Meeting

I. The Executive Committee met at the call of the Chairman at 10:40 a.m., Saturday, November 6, 1937 at the office of the Institute, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. Mr. Tate, Chairman of the Governing Board, presided.

Present: Chairman Tate, Messrs. Klopsteg, Peek, Pegram, Richtmyer, Waterfall; also by invitation Treasurer Buffum, Director Barton, Mr. Kelly, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Applied Physics, and Mr. Hutchisson, Editor of the Journal of Applied Physics.

II. The Minutes of the Meeting of February 27, 1937 were read and on motion approved.

III. Documentation Institute:

On motion it was voted:

that Miss M. M. Mitchell be appointed representative of the Institute to the Documentation Institute of Washington, D. C. in accordance with the resolution adopted by the Governing Board on March 26, 1937.

IV. Publicity:

Mr. Barton stated that one of the employees of the Institute had offered to undertake certain publicity work in outside hours. No action was taken although it appeared to be the sense of the Committee that extra work of this kind by one of the employees would not be desirable.

V. Editors at Board Meetings:

Mr. Barton suggested that it might be desirable to invite the editors of journals to attend meetings of the Governing Board of the Institute. It was the sense of the Committee that invitations should be sent to the editors of publications to attend board meetings but that the Institute would not regularly meet the expenses of such attendance.

VI. The Book "Physics in Industry":

Mr. Barton stated that the book "Physics in Industry" published by the Institute had received excellent reviews here and abroad; that 2500 copies had been printed, 1500 bound and 706 distributed of which about one hundred were complimentary; that the income from sales has been $636.00 against the cost of $1,500.00. In the discussion about this book it appeared to be the sense of the Committee that prompt efforts should be taken to dispose of the remaining copies through circularization of selected lists from engineering and other societies.

VII. Book on Applied Physics by Professor Harrison:

Mr. Barton reported that one chapter of the book had already been published in the Atlantic Monthly, one in the November Harper's and negotiations were in progress to have one appear in Scribner' s Magazine. The question of whether Professor Harrison's book should be published by the Institute or whether it should go to a commercial publisher was discussed.

On motion of Mr. Richtmyer it was voted:

that if the author is willing the Institute proceed to publish Professor Harrison 's book as soon as it is ready.

VIII. Advertising and Circularization:

Mr. Barton stated that pursuant to previous action of the Executive Committee Mr. William C. Copp had been employed beginning August 1st at a salary of $3,600.00 a year with the provision that if his work seemed successful his salary would be raised to a $3,800 rate on January 1st; that Mr. Copp has been working on advertising and subscription promotion; that later he will be freer to undertake the care of the accounts of the Institute for the Treasurer. Mr. Copp then appeared before the Committee and made detailed reports on the results of his advertising campaign by mail and in person and on what he had done with the promotion of subscriptions. Copies of these reports are attached to the official copy of these Minutes.

As the result of discussion arising from a suggestion of Mr. Copp on motion of Mr. Barton it was voted:

that Mr. Copp and Miss Mitchell be designated to design a new cover for the REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS.

(At this point the Committee adjourned for luncheon at 12:40 p.m.)

IX. Budget of the JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS:

Mr. Hutchisson offered for discussion the following:

Proposed budget for 1938 for JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS on basis of 1200 pages, 3500 edition – increased costs taken into consideration.

On motion of Mr. Richtmyer it was voted:

that the Executive Committee considers this proposed budget a reasonable tentative budget for the JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS for 1938 and authorizes it to stand until final action by the Executive Committee or Board in 1938.

X. Remarks by Mr. Buffum:

At this point the Chairman asked Mr. Buffum if he cared to make any statements since he had announced that it was necessary for him to leave the meeting soon. Mr. Buffum stated that he thought the Institute should do all it could to back up the journals and that a great deal of hard work ought to be put on raising the funds for the Institute which had been authorized at the last meeting of the Governing Board, that money can be raised as he well knew because within the past year he had to raise a million dollars for projects of the Chemical Foundation.

XI. Printing:

Mr. Barton laid before the Committee statements from the Lancaster Press to the effect that there had been an increase of 31% in the cost of paper and; with the union activities an advance of 10% in labor had to be made by the Lancaster Press and requesting that the Institute of Physics accept as of January 1, 1938 an increase of 4% on account of paper and 4% on account of labor, a total of 8% increase in bills.

On motion it was voted:

that acceptance of these increased charges for the present be authorized and that the Director and Secretary be authorized to communicate this action to the Lancaster Press.

XII. Industrial Support:

Mr. Barton submitted a memorandum containing the substance of an interview with Mr. Frank Jewett on the subject of raising a fund of approximately one hundred thousand dollars for the American Institute of Physics. He submitted also a proposal which is attached to the official copy of these Minutes.

After full discussion in which it was especially emphasized by Mr. Kelly and others that it would be wise to distinguish clearly between the campaign for increasing the number of associates of the Institute which should go on steadily and actively and a campaign for a considerable sum to meet the indebtedness of the Institute and to furnish it with working capital during the next few years it was on motion voted:

that the Institute organize for a campaign to raise a fund of approximately one hundred thousand dollars at an opportune time and after proper preparation, which preparation shall include:

1. the formulation by the Director of a full and clear statement as to the need and proposed use of such a fund, and revision by submission to individual members of the Board and groups and committees of the Institute;
2. organization of a committee to conduct the campaign which committee shall meet for thorough discussion and planning of approaches to those through whom contributions will be asked;
3. keeping the proposal to raise a fund confidential until the campaign has been completely planned and the time to act has come; and
4. in the meanwhile, continuing and increasing effort to obtain associate members of the Institute.

XIII. On motion the Executive Committee adjourned about 4:30 p.m.