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1965 Diary & Notes

Progressing the IEE Conference on Electronics Design

On Monday morning, 11th January, I chaired a meeting of the IEE Electronics Design Committee at Savoy Place. E.F. Cranston of Marconi, Chelmsford, joined the Committee as the representative of the Electronic Engineering Association. We made final arrangements for the Conference, among other things accepting two papers by I.M. Ross on the definition and organisational environment of Design and agreeing that synthesis and optimisation should be stressed at the Conference.  65a11 .

Seeking a paper on Satellite Instrumentation

The following day, 21st January, I visited Donald Wray, at the Post Office Engineering Group H.Q., Gresham Street, probably about a paper for an E1 meeting on instruments used in satellite communication systems.

Correspondence about the Conference on Electronics Design

On 21st January Sir Willis Jackson of Imperial College wrote gladly accepting an invitation (by Joe Regan) to open the Conference on Electronics Design. He said he would get in touch again about his speech.  65a21 . His letter crossed with mine of the previous day suggesting what he might stress in Opening the Conference.  65a20 . I also received a letter from Geoffrey Gouriet, B.B.C. Director of Research, saying he was extremely sorry he could not be at the Conference, due to IEE commitments in Scotland.  65a21 .

IEE Press Release

On 29th January the IEE put out a Preliminary Press Release on the Conference on Electronics Design, containing an invitation to the Conference & Cocktail Party.  65a29 .

Sir Willis (later Lord) Jackson puts his Opening speech in my hands

There was an encouraging preliminary to the Conference - a letter from Sir Willis Jackson enclosing notes on his Opening speech and requesting my comments so that he could modify it to be the most advantageous.

 I suggested amendments to two passages, essentially to limit the scope to the electronic equipment field, which was wide enough.   The rest was spot on.   

Sir Willis delivered his Opening Address at 1030 in a Session chaired by Dr. R.C.G. Williams, whose request for something to put the IEE on the Electronics map had led to the formation of the Committee on Electronics Design and thence to the Conference.  Sir Willis had adopted my amendments.

311 people registered for the Conference and in addition several Press representatives were present. Just over a half the participants preferred to receive their Conference papers at their home address so their affiliations are not recorded.  Of the 147 who put their employer's address, 103 were from 47 companies, 17 were from 16 Universities and Colleges, and 27 were from the Government, Public Services and Armed Services sectors, namely the Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Public Building and Works, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Radio Research Station, Bank of England, B.B.C., National Engineering Laboratory, Post Office, Science Museum,  Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment, H.M.S. Defender, Office of Naval Research, Royal Military College of Science and Royal Radar Establishment.  A few participants came from abroad, for example ir Prof. C. Rodenburg of Technical University of Twente, Netherlands.  65b08 .

The Programme cover symbolised the theme of Conference - it was obtained to my specification by P.E.M. Sharp. 

There were seven sessions in all, the other Chairmen being D.L. Marples, Prof M.W. Humphrey Davies, G. Millington, R.E. Young, B. Marsden and A.G. Wray.

The speakers at the Sessions were:-

The Programme included an Abstract of each contribution. 

After I gave my contribution on Logical, random & creative elements in design processes, a number of points were made by Newsome of UKAEA, S.A. Bergen, J.L. Bliss, F. Oakes, A.C. Robb, W.H.P. Leslie of National Engineering Laboratory, S. Montieff and E.F. Cranston. The notes on file of these points are very sketchy.  65b08 .

It was probably on the first day that I took Tom Allen, who had flown over from MIT to make his contribution, to lunch at Simpsons in the Strand.

The Press coverage was quite good.  Evidently the Electronics Design theme I had proposed to R.C.G. Williams in March 1964 had not only put the IEE more firmly on the Electronics map but on the Design map also!

Click on thumbnails 

to view content.   

On the second day of the Conference, 9th February, page 7 of the Guardian carried an item by the Science Correspondent headed Design will decide future of British electronics but I wasn't too happy with the authoritarian image conveyed by its reference to me as follows:- Sir Willis did not himself define 'design' but instead paraphrased the words of H.V. Beck, who is controlling a committee set up by the institution to examine the nature of design procedures and the problems of design training.
Times Educational Supplement of 12th February included an item entitled Designing Minds, referring to Professor Sir Willis Jackson's speech.
On 17th February, Electronics Weekly devoted p12 to Training for Designing, which gave a comprehensive account of the Conference. I was described as the moving spirit behind the conference. My remark that the event should be regarded as a 'breadboard conference' was quoted.
Electronics Weekly of 17th February also included an item about the aesthetics and ergonomics aspects of the Conference.
The May issue of Design Electronics had much on the Conference on Electronics Design, with some good summaries of the contributions. This, I think, was the last and the best of the coverage of the February Conference in the national and technical Press.

On 12th February R.T.A. Howell of Brunel College wrote expressing his congratulations on a most valuable Conference. He considered all the papers were excellent except possibly the last two.   He went on:-

(the papers) . . . . . have certainly helped me considerably in formulating my thoughts about both undergraduate & postgraduate aspects of teaching design. In fact I am gradually beginning to understand what design really means.

May I make a plea from the heart that the proceedings of the Conference should be published. 

On the 13th W.D. (Bill) Mallinson of ASWE sent the views of 6 participants from his organisation:-

Conference covered too much, discussion periods irritating. Comments on each speaker. Last speaker (Wales) dreadful. Comment about 1 chairman - 'Millington's little jokes jarred on those who don't know him'. Re the venue - 'The muffled loudspeakers lulled the audience to sleep' but OK in gallery. ASWE feels that the Beck Committee has a worthwhile job to do . . . . .

On my own contribution he said that Design was largely logical, the creative element was very small and the random zero. I wondered if this was typical of a Government Establishment where Design work was being carried out.  65b13 .

An IEE paper, EDC(65)1 of 16th February, set out comments received from Dr. W. Pinson (IRD), B.R. Tilbury (25), D.J. Bailey (AWRE), S.C. Dunn (BAC) and P. Lewis (Cambridge Instruments) in response to my request for suggestions for a future Conference  65b16 .

A meeting of the Committee on Electronics Design held on 17th February reviewed the scope of the Committee.  65b17 .

As a result of a decision by the Committee on the 17th I had to write to R.T.B. Howell to say that the proceedings would not be published but that I would try to get hold of particular papers.  65b22 .

Later that week a Mr. S.A. Gregory came to see me at M.I. about Design - I was to meet him in September 1965 in connection with a Symposium on Design Method he organised at the University of Aston in Birmingham.

In early March, D.L. (David) Marples sent me a paper showing that Electronics Design was now a research topic in University of Cambridge Engineering Laboratory.  65c00 .

The March issue of IEE News had a short item Sir Willis Jackson opens 'Electronics design' conference on page 1, mentioning that 310 people attended and that there would be a full report later.  65c00 . I wrote Notes on the Conference.  65c05 . These were for consideration by the Committee on Electronics Design when it met on 17th March, which continued on 24th March. At those meetings there was a detailed follow-up of the Conference and it was agreed to request a 3-day Conference in September 1967.  65c17 . Among the many items of business a paper I produced on Various Matters Relating to the Drawing Up of a Programme was discussed.  65c23 . Then at its meeting on 30th April the Committee considered another stimulating paper by I.M. Ross and set out a programme for future Committee activities & meetings.  65d30 .

While the Electronics Design activities were proceeding I continued my other interests in the IEE, particularly in the Measurement field. In February 1965 I was nominated for membership of Professional Group S5 on Basic Electrical Theory, Measurements etc and attended my first meeting on 27th April. I also received and accepted an invitation to join the J5 Committee and was interested to note that H.E.M. Barlow, a Director of M.I., was on it.  65c17 .

My Professional Group E1 responsibilities continued with my chairing open meetings on such topics as Scientific Instrumentation in Satellites and Ratio Bridges.  In the latter case Wayne Kerr's Ray Calvert was the speaker.

I was also on the IEE Publications Committee and a Papers & Programme Committee as well as the Electronics Divisional Board.

On 12th May I attended a meeting of the IEE Electronics Divisional Board and then spent a convivial evening at an IEE Council Club Dinner entertaining David Marples and our ladies. The following day David Marples wrote expressing effusive thanks of himself & Maggie for the IEE dinner and hoping he was not too scathing about Masonry.  65e12 .

On 2nd June there was a meeting of the Committee on Electronics Design, followed on 21st June by open meetings arranged by the Committee, namely a Seminar on The Teaching of Electronics Design and a Discussion on The Designer & his Organisation opened by I.M. Ross.  65f21 . In the September issue of Design Electronics the I.M. Ross meeting was described as "Compulsive . . . creation of Committee on Electronics Design has provided a platform . . . . a must".  

In mid-July I had a get-together with Ed Patterson, Editor of Design Electronics, and three of his colleagues. It was probably during this meeting that I commented adversely on an article which had appeared in Electronics Weekly.  The article had begun with the question What is Design? (which because of the What is Measurement? meeting must have rung a muffled bell or two) and was very disparaging about the Conference on Electronics Design.

Two days after our meeting Ed Patterson wrote saying that the October issue of his journal would feature The Meaning of Design and offering to publish an article from me.  65g16 . I replied, agreeing to write the article and suggesting R.E. Young for another.  65g28 .  On the same day S.M. Hardy, IEE's Public Relations Officer forwarded a cutting from Electronics Weekly of the article criticising the Conference on Electronics Design. 

Two days later Ed Patterson of Design Electronics wrote about the articles for his journal and also about my comments on the Electronics Weekly article.  65g30 .   DE & EW must have been in the same publishing house for Ed Patterson said he had had a word with the Editor of EW. Ed said the EW article was written by an outside correspondent who was a person of high regard in the industry but who knows only the right words and does not understand the subject itself. For obvious reasons he could not tell me who the author was. He had discussed my comments with the EW Editor, who had asked that I should write a letter which he would be pleased to print.

[I doubt if at that time I would have had a strong feeling that the EW comments were an arranged attack on me through adverse comments on something with which I was closely identified. This is surprising because I am pretty sure that I was at that time aware, albeit dimly, that some supportive journalism was being arranged in respect of my measurement and instrumentation activities.]

In August I received an invitation to lecture on Electronics Design at the IEE Mersey & N. Wales Centre, Liverpool on 21st March 1966.  65h23 . I replied accepting the invitation.  65h31 .

The Measurement side at the IEE was also making progress. Meetings of the Professional Group E1 on Electronic Measuring Instruments and Techniques continued. At its meeting on 24th May it was reported that the Electronics Divisional Board had agreed with the Committee's recommendation that J.F. Fulford should receive a Marconi Premium. Also J.R. Thompson would be preparing a syllabus on Electrical Measurements and well as produce a report based on the What is Measurement? transcript.   65e24 .

On 23rd June J.R. Thompson (recently appointed Head of Department of Electrical Engineering & Physics, S.E. Essex Technical College, Walthamstow but who had not yet taken up the post) circulated as part of a consultation process a Draft Pt III IEE Syllabus on Electrical Measurements.  65e23 . L. Golds (E. Elec.) & P. Vigoureux (NPL) sent their comments on J.R. Thompson's Electrical Measurements syllabus.  65h02 .

Arrangements for a Symposium on Digital Electronic Measurements, to take place at Letchworth in May 1966, were also proceeding.  65g14 .  65g21 .  65h10 .

In August I wrote to Arkell of IEE Secretariat accepting membership of Joint PG J4 re Measurements.  65h10 . Its Minutes showed that its membership included Profs Brown & Hammond as well as Livingston Hogg.  65h26 .

I was also getting further involved in the Publications side of the IEE activities - e.g. I attended a meeting of the Book Panel on 13th July

At the IEE, representatives of the USSR Academy of Sciences attended one or two of the open meetings I was chairing.

1st October each year was the start of a new IEE Session. These papers show the Officers of the IEE, the Electronics Divisional Board Constitution and the membership of the E1 & Electronics Design Committees, at 1st October 1965.  65j00 .

At 1030 on 4th October I chaired a meeting of the E1 Committee at Savoy Place. An extensive programme was agreed. J.R. Thompson et al were quite active.  65j04 .

On Tuesday 26th October I was on a Panel at an IEE Discussion evening at Hatfield College of Technology. S.C. Dunn of BAC and W.D. Cain of M.I. were also on the Panel, which was chaired by R.J. Halsey who was soon to become a Director of M.I.  65j26 .

In the afternoon of 28th October I attended an IEE Membership General Panel. Joe Regan warned me when he asked if I would agree to being appointed to the Membership General Panel as well as the Membership Electronic Panel that they would take up a great deal of my time. Each met monthly for two hours or so but most time was taken beforehand in examining the papers of about 20 candidates applying for corporate membership of the IEE. I accepted both membership of both Panels because I thought they would give me a valuable insight into a wide spectrum of engineers and engineering which would stand me in good stead when I left M.I.

I went to the IEE on Friday 29th October. I probably put in a brief appearance at the IEE Membership Electronics Panel to explain my comments on borderline cases. I then chaired a meeting of the Committee on Electronics Design at which we considered the status of Committee as well as Reports to the Electronics Divisional Board and to the National Electronics Research Council (NERC). David Marples was particularly helpful.  65j29 .

On 3rd November I was invited to contribute to a Joint J4/J5 Discussion on Teaching Experimental Techniques arranged for 26 November. Widdis & Sharples would be opening the Discussion.  65k03 . There was also a paper by J.D. McGee from JSI.

On the 8th I received a paper from G.S. Monteith (Technical Costs, Ministry of Aviation) on The Conception of Control, for consideration by the Committee on Electronics Design.

In the afternoon of 9th November I attended a meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Chairman IEE Electronics Divisional Board. This was the 'inner sanctum' of the Divisional Board and comprised present and recent past holders of Office on the Board, such as Chairman and Vice-Chairman. As an Ordinary member I had been surprised to receive an invitation.

In the evening of 10th November I gave a Lecture on Design Processes to the IEE Thames Valley Centre at Reading Technical College. It was the first full Lecture (as distinct from Conference contributions and my 1960 Cambridge Chairman's Address) I had given on the topic. It was well attended and there was a lively discussion.

The following day Frank Jones (a member of the Wayne Kerr MATE team) wrote with a valuable critique of my Thames Valley lecture. He also referred to our Friday (MATE) meetings at English Electric House. His letter ended with:-

"I enjoyed your lecture very much and your accusations of the academics. First class"!

 65k11 .

Later in the month, Mr. M. Martin, Chairman of the Thames Valley IERE Committee wrote expressing thanks for an extremely interesting & successful lecture. His letter continued:-

We are very grateful to you for giving us your valuable time and standing up to the rather lively discussion which ensued, particularly with the academic elements of our membership.  65k23 .

I cannot recall what I said to the academics but I remember I got warm applause for some remark.

On Friday 12th November I received a letter about Design from an academic! D. Marples of University of Cambridge wrote about a paper he was reviewing for the Committee on Electronics Design & asking for it to be put on the Agenda of the meeting on 29th November.

On 15th November I gave the Introduction to an IEE E1 Colloquium on Phase Measurement and entertained the speakers to lunch. C.H. Vincent & J.R. Thompson chaired sessions.  65k15 .

In the afternoon of Wednesday 17th November I attended a meeting of the IEE Electronics Divisional Board. The Chairman of the Board was Professor A.L. (Alex) Cullen of the University of Sheffield - when listing the resources of the M.I. MATE Consortium he was cited as a Consultant by the Wayne Kerr team. 

I had submitted a paper on Measurement Groups in the IEE. 

The Board supported my proposals about Measurement Groups. The Committee on Electronics Design was also deputed to select a speaker on Market Research.  .

The following day Prof. A.L. Cullen wrote suggesting J. Dawes of the Ministry of Technology for membership of a Measurement Group.  65k19 .

On Wednesday 24th at 1400 hours I attended the IEE Membership General Panel and the next afternoon the IEE Membership Electronics Panel.

On 26th November I attended a meeting of Joint Group J4. Paul Vigoureux was in the Chair, members included H.E.M. Barlow (Director of M.I.), L. Golds and my old acquaintance, Livingston-Hogg. 

After the meeting there was a Discussion sponsored by Groups J4 & J5.  65k26 .

On 29th November I chaired a meeting of the IEE Committee on Electronics Design. Main topics were a Symposium on Design Method, a Basis for the Study of Design, and David Marples on the Management of Design.  65k29 .

In the evening of 2nd December I attended the IEE Appleton lecture, given by J.A. Ratcliffe. At the ensuing Council Club Dinner, the M.D. of Hewlett Packard (UK) and P.M.S. Blackett (President of Roya1 Society) were guests of F.S. Barton. P.M.S. Blackett was apologetic towards me, as though he felt he had let me down.

There seemed to be a number of ego-boosting measures in hand at the IEE.

In the afternoon of 8th December I attended a meeting of the IEE Electronics Division Papers & Programme Committee. Cullen (Ch), Bray, Halsey, Millington, Sanders, Tillman et al.  I was now among the more senior Officers of the Division. Halsey's appointment to the Board of M.I. was imminent.   65l08 . 

On 13th December I represented Professor A.L. Cullen on the IEE Premiums Committee. Others present were J.F. Coales, A. Lynch & Lane. I then attended an IEE Technical Books Committee.

There was one setback - a paper concerning The Place of Measurement in the Institution I had sent G.F. Gainsborough, IEE Secretary, to be put before the GP Committee was (per F. Jervis Smith, IEE Deputy Secretary) referred by the GP Committee to the Electronics Divisional Board Chairman, Alex Cullen.  65l07 .  65l10 .  However in the afternoon of 22nd December I went with Prof. J.F. Coales and F. Jervis-Smith as representatives of the IEE to a meeting at the Aeronautical Society in which various institutions spoke on the question of providing services to designers.

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1965 Diary & Notes