A. I. E. E. Directors Meeting February 16, 1921

Mar. 1921 INSTITUTE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES 251 improving the quality of telephonic communication. The I conceive it to reside in a single fundamental characteristic— Medal and Diploma of Award were then presented to Dr. Pupin the fact that there comes to each a moment (and in that moment by President Berresford. he becomes truly a professional man) when the work itself— Dr. Pupin then gave a most interesting address, entitled the instinct to do or to create—utterly outweighs the element "Wave Transmission," during which he described some of of resultant personal advantage. Having once attained the his early experiences in Serbia and various incidents of his experience, the mental habit becomes fixed, material concerns life and education leading up to his telephonic inventions. assume their true proportion and there results a class of men In closing, he expressed his most sincere appreciation of the whose aims and whose ideals become accomplishment for honor conferred upon him by the Institute in presenting him accomplishment's sake, and whose ultimate end—although with the Edison Medal, which constituted the highest honor not always self-recognized—becomes the serving of their which the Institute could bestow. fellows. The world recognizes the effect without seeking the cause. It perceives a man who is aiding its advancement, with sub EXCERPTS FROM ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT ordinated self-interest and without ulterior motive, and so long BERRESFORD AT OPENING SESSION as he displays these qualities holds him superior. This is the In gathering for this—our Ninth Midwinter Convention— professional man, and this willingness to serve has become the we are fulfilling one of the stated purposes of our association, fundamental tradition of his class. namely, the holding of meetings for the reading and discussion The engineer has well maintained the tradition. He may of professional papers, to the end that the theory and practise not have put it into words. He may not have consciously of Electrical Engineering and of the Allied Arts and Sciences recognized it in himself other than as a duty and as such to be may be advanced and that there shall be maintained a high accepted and performed, but his accomplishment makes evident professional standing among our members. the existence of the underlying ideal. Gregariousness—a flocking together—is an oft-noted trait And there is no insignificant body of him in this country of of human nature, but it becomes a dominating instinct where ours. A reasonable estimate seems to place the number of men possess some strong interest in common. If no American engineers alone as in the neighborhood of one hundred Institute of Electrical Engineers had ever been formed, we thousand—one for each four hundred of our working population. would form one tonight almost without consideration in order If such a body of men—so trained and so animated—speak as that we might possess facilities for the discussion of the matters a unit after due consideration, they will receive attention. If which most engage our daily thought. they act as a unit, they will accomplish. But whatever might be the specific object for which we asso There will be leaders in the work—men of extended accom ciated, at some time in the course of that association we would plishment and commanding personality—and through them inevitably find ourselves departing in some measure from it. will come that coordination and direction of the work of the Essaying some other effort—higher and less self-centered, if individual which makes for the maximum of performance; the fundamental motive be altruistic—meaner and narrower, but without the work of the individual they can do nothing. if the dominant note be self-interest. Through association of the individual we can develop the con The complicated civilization of the present day exhibits clusions upon which to predicate action and again through this process of association at its maximum and its effects are association we may best assure that action. difficult to estimate, but, without question, enormous. Each As I come into contact with the work that has been done in individual instance produces some effect upon the body politic, the Institute by the men who have given and are giving freely if for no other reason than that the association simply existed. of themselves in every capacity to serve it and through it their Slight it may be, and either for good or evil, but inevitable. fellows, I cannot but be impressed with the extent to which this If it be in the interest of humanity, the rate of progress is in tradition of service has made itself evident in them. creased—if contrary, it is retarded. We begin the exercise To it must be credited that common bond of which our of this influence immediately we have formed ourselves into gathering here tonight is but a visible evidence and only through an associated body. It is utterly beyond our power to live to its continuance may we look forward to an indefinite succession ourselves alone, or solely for our own objects. Whether we of similar assemblies, and the adequate performance of the will or no, we at once become a factor in what shall be, and duties which devolve upon us. exert an influence on when it shall come to be. If this be true of but a few men—and it is true—what care then must be exercised by an association of the magnitude of A. I. E. E. DIRECTORS MEETING the Institute, to the end that all of our doings may redound to FEBRUARY 16, 1921 the good of our people, our race and the world as a whole. The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of Having recognized this responsibility, which became ours by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers was held at the very act of association, may we nor well inquire as to our Institute headquarters, New York, on Wednesday, February 16, fitness for meeting it? Have we any peculiar qualification 1921, at 3:00 p. m. which particularly fits us, and if so, may more be expected of There were present: President A. W. Berresford, Milwaukee; us than of those not so liberally endowed? It seems to me that Past President Calvert Townley, New York; Vice-Presidents we have. We are a body of professional men, or men on their Charles S. Ruffner, New York, L. T. Robinson, C. S. McDoweU, way to become professional men. From time immemorial the Schenectady, E. H. Martindale, Cleveland; Managers Walter professional man—teacher, minister, doctor, soldier—has been A. Hall, Boston, Wm. A. Del Mar, W. I. Slichter, L. E. Imlay, acepted on a basis of substantial equality by those of high degree E. B. Craft, New York, Wilfred Sykes, F. F. Fowle, Chicago, and recognized as possessing uncommon qualification by those G. Faccioli, Pittsfield, Frank D. Newbury, Pittsburgh; Treasurer of less fortunate placing. The engineer (starting from the soldier George A. Hamilton, Elizabeth, N. J.; Secretary F. L. Hut as the military engineer, and throughout all of the diverse chinson, New York. branches of the profession recognized today) has similarly The Board ratified the approval by the Finance Committee enjoyed this distinction. of monthly bills amounting to $16,640.59. The very persistence of this recognition throughout the Reports were presented of meetings of the Board of Examiners years indicates that it must possess substantial foundation. held February 7 and 11, 1921; and the actions taken on ap Mere educational superiority is not sufficient explanation and plications at those meetings were approved. Upon the re sinple self-assertion would not have given permanence. commendation of the Board of Examiners the following action 252 INSTITUTE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES Journal A. I. E. E. was taken upon pending applications: 229 Students were or Robert A. Hadfield was born in 1859. He has made many dered enrolled; 277 applicants were elected to the grade of inventions in connections with the steel industry and has been Associate; 9 applicants were elected to the grade of Member; a prolific technical writer, receiving many honors for his 16 applicants were transferred to the grade of Member; 5 achievements. Besides manganese steel, he invented a magnetic applicants were transferred to the grade of Fellow. steel of high permeability, that is a steel which is especially Chairman Slichter of the Meetings and Papers Committee suitable for use in generators and motors. It was long thought presented a progress report of the March 11th (New York), that the purer the iron the better would be its qualities for use April 16th (Pittsburgh), and May 20th (Annual Business) in generators and motors, but Hadfield showed that a steel meetings, which had already been approved by the Board. containing 2}^ to 4 per cent of silicon after a double heat treat Details may be found elsewhere in this issue. ment, was far superior to the purest obtainable iron. He is a A petition was granted for authority to organize an Institute member of many scientific societies in England and other coun Section at Omaha, Nebraska. tries, among them the American Institute of Mining and Metal Authority was granted for the establishment of a Student lurgical Engineers and the American Institute of Electrical Engi Branch at Cooper Union, New York City. neers. He has been an energetic promoter of the scientific Announcement was made of the appointment by the President societies of Great Britain and has done much to increase as required by the constitution, of the Tellers Committee to their usefulness. Although so distant from New York, he is canvass and report upon the nomination and election ballots one of the greatest users by mail of Engineering Societies Library.

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