Abstract :
At its 12th annual meeting, held November 2–4, 1939, at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., the National Research Council´s conference on electrical insulation took on a new pilot-Ward F. Davidson (A´14, F´26) director of research for the Consolidated Edison Company of New York and chairman of the AIEE committee on research. Originally organized in 1928 as the NRC committee on electrical insulation, the conference with two exceptions has been operating continuously under the stimulating leadership of its retiring chairman, Doctor John B. Whitehead (A´OO, F´12) director of The Johns Hopkins University school of engineering. The exceptions noted were the period (1933–34) of Doctor Whitehead´s presidency of the AIEE, and the last half of the current year. A serious illness in the Spring of 1939 and an off-expressed belief in the desirability of having “new blood,” caused Doctor Whitehead to insist upon the acceptance of his resignation from the chairmanship. During these interim periods, the responsibilities of leadership fell upon and were assumed by Vice-Chairman William A. Del Mar (A´06, F´20) chief engineer of the Habirshaw Cable and Wire Division of the Phelps Dodge Copper Products Corporation and long-time active participant in AIEE affairs.
