A Staffer Looks Back

As a long-time staff member of the ACS Meetings Department (1965-89), I read the article on Meetings & Expositions with great interest (C&EN, June 4, page 45). The article states that the Committee on Meetings & Expositions (M&E) was created in 1971 "to deal with the rising number of participants at national and regional meetings." That statement is somewhat misleading.

If my memory serves me correctly, in 1971 the former Committee on Meetings & Divisional Activities was renamed M&E to reflect the acquisition of the expositions by ACS from the Chicago and Philadelphia Sections, which had been sponsoring them in connection with the triennial fall national meetings held in Chicago and Atlantic City. For many years, the fall national meetings rotated between those two cities and New York City, which were the only three cities large enough to provide the necessary number of concurrent meeting rooms. (Incidentally, the 1965 registration fee for members was $8.00, and hotel rooms were $11 per night!)

A separate Office of Divisional Activities had been established, together with a related Council Committee on Divisional Activities (DAC). From 1974 to 1985, I was the office manager and staff liaison to that committee. In 1985, I became head of the Department of Meetings, Expositions, Divisional Activities & Travel. Subsequently, expositions and travel were separated from the department.

Carry on, DAC and M&E! Keep up the good work.

Barbara Hodsdon Ullyot
Annapolis, Md.