Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)

72d Semiannual Convention This Fall's Convention at the Hotel Statler, Washington, D.C., October 6-10, will be a blaze of highlights with very strong base lighting of the fields of Society interest, for despite the heat, humidity, politics and other summer distractions all the plans keep building . Program Chairman Joe Aiken has lined up the scores of papers into some 14 sessions to release the Advance Notice of the Convention to be mailed to all members in the Western Hemisphere on August 6. This carries the tear-off postal for reserving hotel rooms. If you have not made reservations and need a copy of the postal for convenience, ask Society headquarters for one. The Advance Notice also has the abstract of the technical papers sessions. Although the sessions are all arranged, occasionally authors have to withdraw a paper — so if you have a special paper suddenly cleared, it might still be fitted into the Final Program. If so, write air mail or wire: Joseph E. Aiken, 116 N. Galveston St., Arlington, Va. One large and special part of the technical program will be the first International Symposium on High-Speed Photography which is planned as fully the equivalent of two days of sessions, some of them concurrent with sessions on topics from other parts of the Society's interest. John H. Waddel is Chairman for this symposium. 16mm equipment maintenance is the subject of another session being developed by R. T. Van Niman who will welcome all who come bearing manuscripts, ideas or possibly other contributions to this symposium and discussion. A session on magnetic striping has been organized by Glenn Dimmick. This session contains four formal papers but there is still allowable room for anyone who feels that he can or should make a contribution to this subject. Highlights that can now be mentioned are : descriptions of recording television pictures on magnetic tape presentation of the Signal Corps' Mobile Television System; report on the National Television Systems Committee accomplishments in color television; laboratory session papers on high-speed processing, rapid drying, and butt-weld splicing. Bill Kunzmann, the Society's Convention Vice-President, gave the Board of Governors a complete report in July, covering all the arrangements and commitments made for the Washington convention. Bill was in Washington in late May and at that time held an organizational meeting which resulted in our having the following roster of folks who will put over the operation of the convention : Program Chairman — Joseph E. Aiken International Symposium on High-Speed Photography — John H. Waddell Papers Committee — Chairman, Edward S. Seeley — Vice-Chairmen, Joseph E. Aiken, Fred G. Albin, Geo. W. Colburn, Gerald G. Graham, W. H. Rivers and John H. Waddell Local Arrangements — Joseph E. Aiken Hotel Reservations and Transportation — Henry Fisher Luncheon and Banquet — Nathan D. Golden Membership and Subscriptions — Ray Gallo, assisted by G. J. Badgley Motion Pictures — James Frank, Jr., assisted by John V. Waller Naval Ordnance Laboratory Session Arrangements — Max Beard Projection, 35mm and 16mm — Carl R. Markwith and Henry F. Heidegger, assisted by John V. Waller, and members Local 224, I.A.T.S.E. Public Address and Recording — J. Clinton Greenfield Publicity — Harold Desfor, assisted by Leonard Bidwell and J. A. Moses Registration and Information — Keith B. Lewis, assisted by P. M. Cowett, Fred W. Garretson, Max Kerr, J. A. Moses and Howland Pike Television — Col. C. S. Stodter, R. N. Harmon and W. P. Button Ladies Reception and Registration — Mrs. N. D. Golden and Mrs. J. E. Aiken, Cohostesses 154