September 7, 1978

Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics

Minutes of Meeting

Members Present: P. M. Morse – Chairman, R. T. Beyer, L. M. Branscomb, C. B. Duke, W. W. Havens, Jr., H. W. Koch, S. Millman, J. W. Quinn, A. A. Strassenburg

Nonvoting Participants: H. M. Gurin (AAS), R. A. Young (ACA)

AIP Staff: H. William Koch, Director; Sidney Millman, Secretary; G. F. Gilbert, Treasurer; R. H. Marks, Associate Director for Publishing; Lewis Slack, Associate Director for General Activities; D. M. Lasky, Assistant to the Director; M. M. Johnson, Assistant to the Secretary

Chairman Morse called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

1. Minutes

After noting corrections by Gilbert and Havens, the minutes of the 23 June 1978 meeting were approved without dissent.

2. Building Maintenance and Renovation

1. Woodbury Building

   1. Water System – Confirmation of Mail Ballot

      Millman reported the results of the mail ballot conducted since the meeting of 23 June asking the Executive Committee for approval of the expenditure of $20,000 to improve the water system at Woodbury, by connecting it to the district water supply instead of relying on the existing wells on the Woodbury premises. All 7 voting members of the Executive Committee approved this expenditure. A motion to confirm the results of the mail ballot was passed without dissent.

      Marks then informed the Committee that AIP is meeting resistance from the Jericho District in making the necessary connection for the sum authorized. In the meantime, the present well-water supply has cleared up nicely and the urgency has disappeared. We can now hold out for a more favorable time to effect the changeover.

   2. Parking Lot and Fence

      Marks reported that the contract to enlarge the parking lot and to construct a fence has been let. We have approached the highway department on having a small piece of land which adjoins our property turned over to us and have received indication of a possible favorable response. Marks also reported that there was a cave-in in the parking lot directly over the septic tank, but it turned out to be not serious.

2. Headquarters Building

   1. Report on Mail Ballot re New Furniture

      Millman reported on the results of a mail ballot of the Governing Board on an authorization to spend $425,000 for new furniture. The vote was 32 in favor with none opposed; 2 members did not reply. An official confirmation of this mail ballot will be asked for at the 27 September 1978 meeting of the Board.

   2. Status of Renovation Planning for the Headquarters Building

      Marks reported that AIP expects to award the contract during the week of 25 September. Work on the renovation will start early in October. The tentative schedule calls for completion by April 1979. So far, everything is going on schedule.

3. Fiscal Matters

1. Status of Computerization of Accounting

   Gilbert distributed the latest report from the AIP consultant, Robert Moynihan, read some of the highlights, and answered some questions.

2. IRS and Related Matters

   1. The AIP 501(c)(3) Status and Report on Discussions at Recent CESSE Meeting

      Koch informed the Committee that there has, as yet, not been any reply from the conferee on the results of the conference held in Manhattan on 5 May. There is some indication that we may have an answer by 30 September. Koch reported also that this subject came in for considerable discussion at a recent meeting in Washington of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE).

   2. Letter from New York City Administration

      Millman called attention to a letter AIP received from the New York City Administration suggesting that AIP make a contribution to New York City for a portion of the tax it would be paying if it did not have an exempt status. No action was taken.

4. Publishing Matters

1. Report on Soviet Visit to AIP

   Marks reported on a visit from two Soviet gentlemen to inquire about obtaining permission to translate and distribute in the USSR selected articles from our journals. AIP gives similar permission in the U.S. at a fee of $10 to $15 per page, which is credited to the respective journals. It appears likely, assuming permission is received from the author in each case, that such an agreement will be considered at $12 per page. We have offered this for a 2-year period, to be evaluated at the end of that time. They did not ask for a final decision during their visit. We have previously been authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Member Societies.

2. Final Signing of Contract with Fachinformationszentrum

   Koch noted that AIP marketing of the English-language "Physics Briefs/Physikalische Berichte" will begin on 1 January 1979, and he distributed several copies of the proposed AIP press release announcing the new arrangement.

3. Copyright Agreement with Ford Motor Company

   Koch reported that Ford has agreed to the copyright transfer conditions required by AIP when their scientists submit papers for publication in AIP journals.

4. Request for a Contribution from the Council of the Advancement of Science Writing, Inc.

   Koch called attention to a letter from the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, Inc. (CASW), copies of which had been distributed to the Executive Committee on 25 August, and asked for the views of members of the Committee. No action was taken. Instead, Koch was encouraged to explore the possibilities of having joint projects.

5. Update for Contributions to the Copyright Clearance Center

   Koch reported that the Copyright Clearance Center fell short of its goal of raising $200,000. In the second fund-raising campaign they have raised only $41,000 in this new drive. He recommended that AIP supplement its original contribution of $5,000 with an additional $2,000. After a brief discussion, the following motion was made by Branscomb, seconded by Havens, and passed:

   MOVED that AIP be authorized to make an additional contribution to the Copyright Clearance Center of not more than $2,000.

6. Role of AIP in the Publication of Proceedings of the 1981 Temperature Symposium

   Koch reported that AIP has been asked to get involved in the publication of the proceedings of the next Temperature Symposium. These symposia are scheduled once in about 10 years and lead to a publication of about 3,000 pages. It is proposed that three organizations take part in this: Instrument Society of America, National Bureau of Standards, and AIP. Koch said that he took the position that each of the three sponsors should have an active role, and Ralph Hudson of NBS suggested that AIP take the publishing responsibility. Koch proposed that AIP would take 2/3 of the net income from publication of the proceedings with each of the others taking 1/6. He estimated total income of about $120,000. He thought that AIP can make a useful contribution and, if his conditions are met, he recommended that AIP be authorized to publish these proceedings.

   The following motion was made by Havens, seconded by Branscomb, and passed without dissent:

   MOVED that AIP be authorized to publish the Proceedings of the 1981 Temperature Symposium under the conditions described above.

7. Status of Computerization of Composition

   Marks reported that the Publishing Division has started producing journal pages using the ATEX system. He passed around a sample of some Journal of Applied Physics articles published with the use of ATEX and compared it with typewriter-composed pages. He also reported that the UNIX experiment is going to be continued at Brookhaven where some AIP personnel will be on leave, assigned to APS. It is planned to start it in October to last for six months. Marks will follow it closely, and it will be evaluated as it goes on. It is expected that we will then be able to decide whether to adopt one of these systems for computerized photocomposition of AIP journals or, perhaps, use a combination of both, depending upon the specific requirements of a journal and the capabilities of the developed system.

5. Election of Corporate Associate

Lasky reported that Becton, Dickinson and Company (a medical supply and instrumentation company in Rutherford, N. J.) had applied for Corporate Associate membership for 1978 at the rate of $500. A motion to elect Becton, Dickinson and Company a Corporate Associate of the Institute for 1978 was passed without dissent.

6. Cooperation Among AIP Societies to Display Physics Exhibits at Meetings of Other Societies

Strassenburg reported that AAPT has booklets and films which the Association has displayed at meetings of other societies, particularly the National Science Teachers Association, and has received a very favorable response. Some aspects of the exhibits are not altogether satisfactory since AAPT has only a small budget for this operation. In contrast, the American Chemical Society has a very large, attractive commercial exhibit with many handouts. AAPT by itself could not expand its exhibits and thought it would be good if AIP were to take the lead to produce and maintain the materials and ship them around the country, while the relevant Member Society would supply the personnel at the meetings to run the exhibits and answer questions. The estimated cost is about $4,500 per year for those meetings which would be borne by the Society. The initial investment for acquiring material at a cost of about $5,000 would be supplied by AIP, and a committee might be set up to oversee the project. Koch added that AIP has some experience of this sort, and that Strassenburg’s estimates appear reasonable to him. He would therefore recommend that we follow Strassenburg's suggestion.

The following motion was made by Strassenburg, seconded by Havens, and passed without dissent:

MOVED that AIP provide the initial investment of approximately $5,000 to acquire and maintain materials for physics exhibits to be displayed at meetings of other societies.

The meeting was adjourned for luncheon at 12:10 and reconvened at 12:45 p.m.

7. Appointment of Administrative Review Committee

Koch reminded the Executive Committee that George Pake, Chairman of the 1977 Administrative Review Committee making recommendations on AIP officers’ salaries, had, in a letter to Morse, expressed the need for getting some members of the Executive Committee involved in such a review. Koch suggested that in the forthcoming 1978 review the whole Executive Committee might want to conduct this annual review. This suggestion was accepted by the Executive Committee.

8. AIP Organization

1. Review and Projection of AIP Programs, Organization, and Funding

   Koch proposed that a meeting of the Executive Committee be scheduled in November for the general purpose of reviewing current AIP programs and discussion of possible new programs that may be proposed by the AIP staff at workshop sessions to be held during October. The November meeting might be useful in getting started on the long-range plans for Institute activities, as discussed at the 23 June meeting of the Executive Committee.

   A lively discussion ensued on the desirability of limiting the review to those areas of AIP operations where some good ideas are advanced for the extension of AIP operations that may be of interest either to the scientific community, such as secondary publishing services, or to the general public. We might discuss ideas on secondary information which-generates some revenue that could be used partly for funding experimental and innovative things, and partly for increased information to the general public. The Executive Committee might hear the ideas of the staff on what is being done at present and what the financial needs are for the extension of present activities. Koch thought that the meeting in November could also develop a long-range planning procedure.

2. Proposal to Hire Personnel Management Consulting Firm

   Koch raised the question of the advisability of getting an outside consulting firm, such as Hay Associates, to help the AIP Personnel Committee with salary administration. Hay Associates have developed a point system to aid in arriving at the level of performance of employees; this would be applied to the AIP staff. They would also supply market salary information relevant to the related classifications. He noted that AIP had employed an outside firm about 10 years ago which helped with the setting up of a classification system for all employees. The initial cost would be about $20,000, with a recurrent annual cost of about $7,500 if we want to have them supply market data on salaries and otherwise be helpful. Some members of the Executive Committee expressed skepticism about whether the benefits to be derived would be commensurate with the expense and the time our staff would have to devote to this effort, as proposed by Hay Associates.

   At this point, there was a brief executive session of the Executive Committee and the report of that session will be attached to the official copy of these minutes.

3. Preparation for AIP 50th Anniversary

   Koch noted that the year 1981 will mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of AIP. The fifth, 20th, and 25th anniversaries have been celebrated with special issues of Physics Today, after it became available. He asked whether the AIP Member Societies would wish to celebrate the 50th anniversary in some communal way, or whether this should be done in a fairly low-key way by having only a special anniversary issue of Physics Today.

   Lasky reported that the American Chemical Society’s 100th anniversary was celebrated in a very elaborate year-long celebration and covered the history of chemistry in general. A visit to the Priestly home in Pennsylvania was arranged; an anniversary stamp was printed by the US Government; a special issue of Chemical & Engineering News was published. There was a special meeting in June 1976 with history-oriented sessions to which all sister societies were invited. They also developed a time capsule.

   Branscomb suggested that the Center for History of Physics take on the responsibility for organizing an appropriate program. Koch added that Dorothy Lasky might serve as the staff person for coordinating our internal operation, and suggested that Morse and he appoint a two- or three-member outside committee to start thinking of what is appropriate for the physics community.

4. Need for Revising Limit on Size of Governing Board

   Millman informed the Executive Committee that, with the increase in membership of the American Astronomical Society entitling it to add a director to the AIP Board in 1979, the Governing Board will have reached the limit of 35 members stipulated in our Certificate of Incorporation as amended in 1947. After a brief discussion indicating a strong sentiment for decreasing the total membership of the Board, the Secretary was asked to come up with a specific proposal for such a decrease, to be discussed at the 27 September Governing Board meeting and followed by an amendment to the AIP Constitution.

9. Topics for Governing Board Meeting Scheduled for 27 September 1978

A list of some items proposed for discussion at the 27 September Board meeting had been distributed prior to this meeting. Millman added that we will also plan to have reports from two or three AIP Board committees. These will probably include the Publishing Policy Committee and the Advisory Committee on Physics Today, these two committees are scheduled to meet prior to the Board meeting.

10. Future Meetings

It was agreed that the next meeting of the Executive Committee will be held on Tuesday, 21 November, starting at 9:00 a.m. There will also be a meeting of the Executive Committee, the annual budget meeting, on Thursday, 14 December.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.