| Description | Present at the meeting held at the Royal Society; Professor N Kurti in the chair; Mr R H Ellis; Mrs M Gowing; Mr M W Leonard; Professor W D M Paton; Professor J S Rowlinson; Sir Robert Somerville; Dame Veronica Wedgwood
Dr G R C Davis, Dr R E W Maddison, Mr H M G Baillie; Mr R A Storey in attendance
1. The Chairman on behalf of the Committee congratulated Mrs Gowing on her appointment to the Chair of History fo Science at Oxford University, and welcomed to the Committee MR M V Leonard, Secretary of teh Council of Engineering Institutions, and Professor J S Rowlinson, Professor of Chemical Technology at Im;erial College, both Representing the Royal Society; and Dr G R C Davis who was to succeed Mr Ellis as Secretary of the Commission and of the Joint Committee on 1 July 1972.
2. Apologies for absence form Professor Jones and Sir David Martin
3. Minutes of last meeting agreed and signed
4. Arising from Minutes, item 6.i, the Chairman agreed to raise again with Sir David Martin the possibility of includign details of family and next of kin and of any provision made for the preservation of personal papers in the int personal information requested by the Royalk Society from newly elected Fellows. From item 11, Mr Ellis reported that owing to his indisposition, no select list of repositories suitable for the depsit of scientific and technological papers had been drawn up. The question was further discussed in connectin with interim measures to be taken pending establishment of the survey system
5. The Chairman reported that following the last meeting of the Committe, the draft of Dr Maddison's 'uide' had been looked at in greater detail, in particular by Sir Robert Somerville, and it had been decided that with fiurther work a more acceptable publication would result, especially if some of the imbalance bet5ween entries could be corrected. Dr Maddison then reported on this work which he and a temporary appointee, Mr Kittermaster, had carried out, resulting in a considerable increase in the contents of the 'Guide'. He had also propared an index to correspondents named in the descriptions of different accumulations. It was agreed;
5.1 To proceed with publication of the revised draft, subject to necessary editing
5.2 That an informal approach should be made to anumber of publishers, including Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Oxford University Press, the Athlone Press, Kraus Reprints, the Harvester Press, Taylor & Francis Ltd. and those publlishers who had previously expressed an interst in publishing the 'Guide'. Potential publishers should be left the option of using letterpress or offset lith. A4 size with some provision of space for annotation was felt to be the desirable format. The Commission would copy Dr Maddisons's revised text, as a matter of security, supply sdample copies of texts for the approach to publishers and correlate the findings. The question of an appropriate introduction would also be considerd.
6. The Chairman reported that the Trustees fo the Wolfson Foundation had rejected the Committee's application for the sum of £5000 per annum for three years, with the option of a further two, for the purpose of providing for itinerant archivists to list and advise on scientific and technological records in the hands of owners or custodians who required such assistance. He had made numerous informal approaches toother potential sources fo funds, and the possibility of resubmitting the Committee's application to the Wolfson Foundation was being considered.
Discussion followed on the course of action to be taken if a further negative reply was received. It was agreed that an approach should be made to the Science Research Council and, on the suggestion of Mrs Gowing, Mr Ellis said that he could enquire informally about the possibility of a grant in aid fromt he Civil Service Department through the agency of the Commission. The possibility was also descussed of obtaining the necessary finance in the form of smaller donatins from a number of different funds:; it was felt that any approacvh to AMerican institutions shold only be made at a later stage, when the survey had already begun.
Amongst practical measures to be traken pending the establishment of the survey, Mr Leonard suggested the provision of standard containers which could be made available to those with paperws to deposit, and he volunteered to look into this mater. Mrs Gowing offered to enquire if suitable temporary accommodation at Aldermarston HArwell or on Central Electricity Generating Board property were available to receive any pepers pending their permanent deposit.
7. Mr Ellis reported the receipt fo a letter from Sir Harold HArtley, who continued to take an interest in the work of the Committee
8. The Chairman suggested that members of the Committee might begin to give attention to the possible future programme of the Committee. He pointed out that this meeting was the last which Mr Ellis woulkd attend, as Secretary, before his retirement, and expressed the Committee's appreciation of his work and best wishes on this occasion.
9. Date of next meeting - unlikely to be before the end of 1972 unless progress on the contemporary records project necessitated an earlier meeting. |