Panelists Remarks -- The Start of the Forum on Physics and Society

The early days of the Forum on Physics and Society, its leadership and programs will be reviewed. Science was late in joining the major changes taking place in American society in the late 1960s. At the time, APS and other professional science societies were limited to research, education and history. The concept that the APS would, at its meetings, deal with physics and society matters was not seen as part of the Society's mission. At the time there was turmoil in American society concerning the Vietnam War, civil rights, free speech issues and the military-industrial complex. Also exacerbating the situation was the sharp downturn of employment opportunities for the large numbers of Ph.D. scientist produced by the post sputnik encouragement and funding of science education. I and Emanuel Maxwell of MIT collected the 1 percent (approximately 200) signatures of the then APS membership required to establish a new unit to be named, The Division of Physics and Society. This resulted in much debate within the Society and ultimately resolved with the establishment of new class of APS units designated as Forums.