*1f —

lUli.S.'Diiartmeht

Frederick B. Dent,

bf

Secretary

Commerce ^

Betsy Ancker-Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant

Secretary for Science and Technology

National Bureau of Standards

Richard W. Roberts, Director

Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 418, 32 pages

(March, 1975)

Supersedes NBS Special Publication 397

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U S Government Printing

Office, Washington. D C 20402 (Order by SD Catalog No 013 10 418), Price $1.00
Table of Contents Page

From The Director 3

Standards For Daily Living 4

Historical Pioneer 6

Catalyst For Change 7

Information Programs 7

The Year In Review 8

Expanding Measurement Capabilities 8

Toward Solving Tlie Energy Problem 10

Improving Man's Environment 12

Striving For Safer Products 14

Aiding Healtin Care 16

Advancing Computer Technology 18

Interaction Is The Key 20

Public Interest 20

Government Projects 21

Industry Cooperation 22

Information Services 23

Funds And Facilities 24

Organization 26

People 28

about the cover

The stylized initials created in a

kilogram . . . the only standard of

measure still defined by a physical

artifact . . . symbolize the old and the

new at the National Bureau of Standards, established in 1901 as the

nation's physical science and measurement laboratory.

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

Washington, D.C. 20234

(301) 921-1000

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

Boulder, Colorado 80302

(303) 499-1 000

i

There is much concern

today over the depletion of national resources. Scientific and engineering talent, and the institutions that focus this talent on

national problems, are more than

ever of great significance. In that

light, the Commerce Department's

National Bureau of Standards is a resource of the first order, created

and maintained by the American

people to help set standards for

daily living.

By standards for daily living, I mean that vast, often unnoticed

network of measurements and standards that enrich our daily lives. On a simple plane, consider how chaotic our affairs would be if we had no means

of measuring time. In a more technical sense, the complex products of

modern Industry would be impossible without measurements that provide

understanding of materials and control of their fabrication. Measurements

also affect us in a very personal way, as when your doctor takes your blood

pressure or has your cholesterol level determined.

It is ourjob at the National Bureau of Standards to provide the firm

foundation for measurements and standards. Sometimes this involves

working at the outer limits of physical science; at others, it means

determining the amount of noise produced by a child's toy cap gun. No

matter what the challenge, NBS applies its talents in providing standards for

daily living.

Richard W. Roberts

Director
Standards For Daily Living

^K^- .."•if!

The Gaithersburg campus.

We take measurements and

the standards obtained from

measurements for granted, just as

we accept the many aspects of

daily living. But without them we

would be at a loss; we would not be

able to enjoy our current

"standard" of living, and our lives

would be less productive.

Measurement-related activities are a huge factor in the American

economic system, accounting for

about 6 percent of the Gross

National Product, or $70 billion

annually.

The focal point for

measurement standards in the

United States is the National

Bureau of Standards, an agency of

the Department of Commerce. The

Bureau, which was established by

Congress in 1901, is essential to

modern American life. Respected

since its inception by the trade and

technical communities, the Bureau

also has a long tradition of

4
Research reaches the marketplace.

communicating the practical

results of its research to the

general public. This effort received

additional attention as NBS moved

into the mid-1 970's.

The development of a highly

complex and technical society

requires basic norms and

agreements to which all men can

adhere. This forms the nucleus of

our system of laws and justice and

it underlies our flow of goods and

services to the marketplace. It is in

the latter area that the Bureau has

made a vital contribution in the last

73 years. Today, with 3,100

employees located in Gaithersburg, Md., and Boulder,

Colo., NBS is one of the nation's

largest physical sciences and

measurements laboratories.

5
Historical Pioneer

NBS invention made commercial radio possible.

One of the first electronic computers.

From its beginnings the

Bureau envisioned its scope as

wider than simply the official

keeper of weights and measures

for the United States. It extended

its scientific and technological

resources to American industry

and the American consumer. Atthe

outset NBS played a major role in two developments that were to

affect the lives of every

American—electricity and radio.

Standards and standard

measurement techniques for

electricity were developed at NBS.

This led to pioneering work in radio

which, in 1922, resulted in the

invention of the rectifier, an

electronic device that permitted

radios to operate on household

electricity and gave birth to a new

industry. NBS also developed

radio direction finders for airplane

navigation and radiosondes for

transmitting data back from

weather balloons. NBS helped

usher in the atomic age by

contributing to processes by which

uranium and graphite were purified

in the early 1940's. And it was

present at the birth of the computer

age with the construction of one of

the nation's first electronic

computers in 1950.

6
Catalyst for Change Information Programs

The ability to keep ahead of

the times has characterized the

Bureau's work. Today NBS is laying groundwork for automation

technology that will relieve man

from tedious and hazardous jobs

while increasing the nation's

productivity. Through cooperative

efforts with the retailing, banking,

and other service sectors of our

economy, the Bureau is advancing

the application of computer

technology for public benefit. In this it is serving as a catalyst for

change.

So, too, is NBS involved in other issues of the mid-1 970's.

Energy conservation, materials

research, environmental control

and consumer protection are dominant themes. The Bureau has

active research programs in each

of these areas. In fact, NBS is a

mixture of stability and

change—on the one hand

maintaining and improving upon

the nation's standards of measure

and, on the other, performing the

basic laboratory work that

promotes technological

progress. Through its first 73

years the Bureau has been a center of excellence and an

effective spokesman for science

and technology within the

Federal government.

NBS addresses a variety of

audiences. It has developed

programs, such as the National

Standard Reference Data System,

for evaluating and communicating

data to the scientific and

engineering communities. And it also communicates scientific and

technical information in a variety of

ways to the general public. This

annual report presents highlights

of Bureau programs during the

fiscal year which ended June 30,

1974. Anyone wishing additional

information on any NBS activities

and programs is invited to contact

the Office of Information Activities,

National Bureau of Standards,

Washington, D.C. 20234.

Laser instruments measure seismic disturbances

7
The Year In Review

Expanding Measurement

Capabilities

The Bureau made significant

progress in fiscal 1974 in the area

of fundamental measurement.

Through the aid of the latest in electronics technology, for

example, Bureau scientists

determined the weight of an atom

with an accuracy of 1 part in a

million. This remarkable

achievement was one of a series of

complex and exacting

experiments which resulted in a new, more accurate determination

of the Avogadro constant (the

number of atomic mass units in 1 gram). In practical terms it means

progress towards replacing

kilogram weights with an atomic

standard for mass. Bureau

scientists also measured the

earth's strain as recorded by laser

instruments in a Colorado mine

tunnel. They found, apart from

occasional seismic disturbances,

that the earth is relatively quiet.

Industry and commerce are

big beneficiaries of NBS

measurement expertise. In the oil industry, for example, density of

crude oil is used to determine the

quantity of oil transferred. During

fiscal 1974 the Bureau signed a 5

year contract with the American

Petroleum Institute to update

Water towers in Kuwait

studied for corrosion problems.
60-year-old standards of density.

The agreement calls for NBS to

obtain samples from oil fields

around the world, measure their

density at different temperatures

and establish a new set of

reference tables.

The Bureau, in cooperation

with electric utility companies,

began studies to determine how

accurately power companies

calibrate watt-hour-meter

standards and utilize them to meter

the energy used by consumers. In the initial phase, the measurement

processes of 30 utilities were

examined. Most were within

acceptable tolerance limits but 1

percent exceeded the limits by

varying degrees. The program is being continued and enhanced so

that all power laboratories in the

country will have access to this

service and can improve their

measurement accuracies.

NBS has an interest in international measurement

standards as well. It serves as a

scientific and technical resource

for the U.S. State Department and

actively promotes international

standardization. Some of its fiscal

1974 projects included improving

the quality of rubber from Thailand,

consulting with Israeli specialists

on trace analysis and dealing with

corrosion problems in Kuwait.

The Bureau established the

U.S. Advisory Committee for Legal

Metrology to help ensure adequate

representation of the U.S.

viewpoint in the International

Organization of Legal Metrology.

The latter is a treaty organization of

43 nations whose purpose is to

establish minimum technical

requirements which weighing and

measuring instruments must

possess in order for them to be

accepted by the member nations

and be used internationally. These

technical requirements are contained in international

recommendations which are intended to be adopted as national

law or regulation. These

international activities help to improve the flow of trade among

nations.

Calibrating watt-hour meters.

9
Toward Solving the Energy

Problem

NBS townhouse used for energy efficiency study

Adding insulation to check energy savings.

Oil. That once cheap source

of energy for moving man across

his planet suddenly became

expensive. One way that our

government responded to this

situation was to encourage energy

conservation by the public. NBS

was deeply involved in these

efforts.

The Bureau initiated a

program to help inform potential

buyers of home appliances about

how much energy the appliances

consume. The first project in this

effort was the development of

energy conservation labels for

room air conditioners. Other

appliances and equipment to be

labeled in fiscal 1975 include

refrigerators, freezers and hot

water heaters.

The Bureau also developed

guidelines for energy conservation

in the design of new buildings.

These guidelines will assist in providing a basis for voluntary

standards which state and local

governments may adopt.

To demonstrate energy

conservation, the Bureau

collaborated with the General

Services Administration in the

design of a Federal office building

in Manchester, N.H. The building is expected to save about one-third

the energy used by a similar,

conventionally-designed building.

NBS will evaluate and determine

which of the building's

energy-saving features are most

effective. The Bureau also began

work with the New York City Board

10
of Education, under National

Science Foundation sponsorship,

to design an energy-efficient

school building.

In work on the Bureau

grounds, scientists and engineers

studied a prefabricated townhouse

to determine how it might be made

more energy efficient. They found

that adding insulation in the

structure could save up to 55

percent of the energy required for

heating. Additionally, when the

outdoor temperature was about

-6°C (21°F), it was shown that

savings of about 1 2 percent of the

heating energy could be realized

by turning the thermostat back

from 24°C (75°F) to 18°C (65°F) at night. Three related NBS

publications, "Home Energy

Saving Tips," "7 Ways to Reduce

Fuel Consumption in Household

Heating" and "1 1 Ways to Reduce

Energy Consumption and Increase

Comfort in Household Cooling,"

continued to receive wide

distribution in fiscal 1974.

Solar energy was talked about

as a long-term solution to the

energy crisis and the Bureau was

asked to participate in some of

the preliminary research. If solar

energy is to be used on a large

scale in this country, certain

measures of performance have to be established. Just what

constitutes an effective solar

heating and cooling system? NBS

was given a mandate by Congress

to answer this question—particularly with respect to residential

buildings. As part of this project,

NBS fitted the townhouse

mentioned above with a solar

heating and cooling system and

will monitor its performance.
Improving Man's

Environment

' While energy became a major

concerrn in fiscal 1974, the nation's

commitment to a clean

environment continued and NBS

provided several major

technological advances in the field

of pollution control. Noise pollution

has become an increasingly

important issue, especially among

urban Americans. NBS has been

working with several government

agencies to assess existing

procedures or develop new

methods for the measurement and

characterization of the noise

environment.

Working forthe Environmental

Protection Agency, NBS

completed an evaluation of a

numberof commercial instruments

which measure occupational noise

exposure. For the Department of

Housing and Urban Development,

Bureau engineers designed,

fabricated and began evaluating a

prototype urban noise

measurement system. NBS

psychologists continued to work

toward the development of

improved procedures for

determining human response to various types of noise.

In the area of source

emission, NBS completed another

phase of an ongoing program to measure tire noise for the

Department of Transportation;

developed procedures for

measuring noise emission from

medium and heavy-duty trucks and

portable air compressors for the

Environmental Protection Agency,

and developed a procedure for

measuring the noise produced by

paper caps used in toy pistols for

the Consumer Product Safety

Commission,

As the result of a fish kill on the

James River in Virginia, NBS

developed, in collaboration with the

State of Virginia, a sensitive monitor

to detect minute traces of chlorine

in water. The monitor discovered

high levelsof chlorine coming from

a sewage treatment plant that

emptied into the James. Alerted to the problem, the plant cut back its chlorine usage and chlorine levels

in the river dropped. The portable

monitor device aids pollution

12
control officials in assessing water

quality more easily and quickly.

Other NBS scientists studying

tiny organisms from the

Chesapeake Bay discovered that

organisms absorb and convert

mercury into its more deadly form,

called methylmercury. Conversion

occurs also when the organisms

absorb tin and react with mercury.

The work provides a means of

assessing the amount of toxic

mercury in polluted waters and

assists officials in setting pollution

controls.

NBS also provided

measurement checks on the

radioactive effluents from nuclear

power plants. The operators of

these plants and regulatory

agencies such as the Atomic

Energy Commission,

Environmental Protection Agency

and the various states were

provided with radioactivity

standards for measurement

comparison. NBS also sent these

groups samples of materials to be

identified. The results were

reported back to NBS. The Bureau

then told these groups of the

accuracy and reliability of their

measurement.

In the field of air pollution

control, NBS researchers

developed an instrument to

measure accurately the number,

size and distribution of particles of

soot, dust and other matter in the

atmosphere. Previous instruments

were often unreliable and the NBS

device reduced the margin of

error.

During the year, NBS

presented the Environmental

Protection Agency with three

calibration standards for

measuring automobile exhaust

emissions. These will enable the

Environmental Protection Agency

to provide daily working standards

to assure compliance with Federal

automotive emission laws. In other

words, NBS provided the base

against which all emission

standards will be ultimately

judged.

Chesapeake Bay organisms studied for toxic metal content

Portable chlorine monitor used to assess water quality.

13
Striving for Safer Products

To protect consumers, NBS

developed an instrument which

duplicates the response of human

finger tissue to the surface

temperature of a toaster, iron or other home appliance and quickly

tells whether the surface is too hot

for safe human contact. The

instrument, called a

"thermesthesiometer," will be

produced commercially by a

private firm for use by appliance

manufacturers in designing safety

into new products. The Consumer

Product Safety Commission also

plansto distribute the instrumentto

field offices for testing purposes.

Law enforcement officials

know that many homes built since

World War II with wooden doors

Bureau research led to tlammability standards for children's sleepwear

and frames can easily be entered

by an intruder with only a few kicks

or a screwdriver. As a result, the

Bureau was asked to prepare a

voluntary performance standard

for the security of exterior

residential doors. The standard

should lead to more

"burglar-proof" doors in homes

and apartments.

NBS developed a performance standard for police

riot helmets for the National

Institute of Law Enforcement and

Criminal Justice. NBS technical

work showed that some of the riot

helmets afforded policemen little protection. Standard test methods

were developed to promote

uniform quality in the manufacture

and purchase of helmets. The test

methods cover impact strength,

penetration, resistance, strength

retention and peripheral vision.

There has been mounting

public concern overthe increasing

toll of life and property taken by fire. Recognizing this concern, NBS

reorganized its fire research

programs and strengthened them

by opening a new, $2 million fire

research facility at its Gaithersburg

laboratories.

NBS has long been a leader in research on clothing fires. Its research provided the basis forthe

first tlammability standard for

children's sleepwear (sizes 0-6X)

issued in 1971. Subsequent

research led to publishing a

second, complementary standard

.eveloped device measures burn potential of appliances
on May 1 , 1974. It covers children's

sleepwear sizes 7 through 14 and

takes effect May 1 , 1 975. After that

date all children's sleepwear sold

to the public must conform to

Federal flammability standards as

prescribed by the Consumer

Product Safety Commission.

Another public concern in

fiscal 1974 was the problem of

high-rise building fires. NBS

studied 1 0 Veterans Administration

hospitals and a high-rise

apartment building in Jersey City,

N.J., to determine paths of smoke

movement through corridors,

elevator shafts and stairwells. The

studies tested fire prevention and

warning systems, such as

sprinklers and smoke detectors.

NBS also published a report

analyzing the problem of occupant

safety in high-rise fires. It urged a coordinated system for alerting

occupants and leading them to safety through the use of either

stairways or fire-safe areas on

various floors.

NBS developed a test method

for determining the smoke

generation potential of materials

which was adopted as a tentative

standard by the National Fire

Protection Association.

Knowledge of the smoke

generation potential of materials is crucial because inhalation of

smoke and toxic gases, rather than

burn injuries, accounts for the

majority of fire deaths. One way to

minimize this danger is to select

materials with a low potential for

smoke generation for use in critical

areas such as exitways and air

conditioning ducts.

A topic studied intensively in

fiscal 1 974 was disaster mitigation,

particularly from high winds.

Working with the Agency for

International Development and the

Philippine government, NBS

began examining the design and

construction of low-cost housing to make it more wind resistant. This

work will continue for two more

years with the results being made

available to the governments of the

Philippines, Bangladesh and other

countries where high winds are an

environmental problem.

Bureau studied smoke movement in high-rise fires.

15
Aiding Health Care

The reliabilityof machines has

become of vital importance in the

health field. For example,

high-frequency sound waves

(ultrasound) are coming into

increasing use as a means of

obtaining pictures of internal

organs. Safe operation of these

machines depends upon accurate

calibration of the power (sound)

levels. During fiscal 1974, the

Bureau compared its ultrasonic

Three hundred types of hearing aids tested by NBS.

16
calibration techniques with those

of the Department of Health,

Education and Welfare. The

closeness of the two

measurements provides increased

confidence in the accuracy of

ultrasonic scanning devices.

NBS also measured the

important physical and chemical

properties of bone cement used by

surgeons to restore hip joints. By

getting a better understanding of

the performance characteristics of

the cement, NBS will help to

improve the safety and reliability of

the product.

In a unique use of the medium

of television, the Public

Broadcasting System tested a

system developed by NBS which

allows captions to appear on

specially equipped TV sets for deaf

viewers. By reading word strips

that move across the television

screen, many hearing-impaired

persons may soon be able to enjoy

television. Initial reactions from

deaf viewers were enthusiastic.

NBS tested some 300 types of

hearing aids for the Veterans

Administration, the country's

largest single purchaserof hearing

aids. NBS test results, used by the

VA in making purchases, are made

available to the general public by

the VA.

Providing technical support to

the Department of Housing and

Urban Development, NBS began

an experimental survey of 4,000

residences in Pittsburgh, Penn., to

determine the nature and extent of

NBS developing standard to measure

lead levels in blood.

the lead-based paint poisoning

problem. NBS chemists are also

developing a more precise

standard for measuring lead levels

in blood. They are working on a standard based on blood taken

from pigs that have been fed lead

compounds. This standard, to be

issued as an official Standard

Reference Material, is expected to be biochemically representative of

the blood samples obtained from

children.

Physical and chemical properties of bone cement evaluated.

17
Advancing Computer

Technology

The export of U.S. computers

affects both the international

balance of trade and the balance

of power. During fiscal 1974 NBS

provided advice on the

technological significance of

exporting large-scale computers,

such as systems for the Soviet

Union's Kama River truck plant and

its Aeroflot (airline) reservation

system.

Public concern over

computer-based record keeping

Bureau established guidelines for computer security.

and its implications for the

personal privacy of two hundred

and eleven million Americans

escalated NBS' program in computer security to one of high

priority. The potential for damage

to people's reputations and credit

ratings necessitates standards and

guidelines to prevent the misuse of

computerized personal data files.

NBS provided technical

support to the Congress and the

Domestic Council's Committee on

the Right of Privacy in the

development of national policies

for the collection, use and

distribution of personal

information. Federal standards for

controlling access to automated

information systems were being

issued and collaborative efforts

were underway to provide

voluntary standards for the private

sector. Two privacy conferences

hosted by NBS brought together

800 representatives of business,

consumers, government and the

computer industry to assess the

problem and propose resolutions.

The Bureau published the first set of guidelines for computer

security which specify how to

structure physical security

programs for Federal computer

facilities. Additionally, a special

computer security guide for

business executives was

distributed to acquaint them with

safeguards which assure

protection of computerized

information.

Automated robot responds to human control.
In the field of automation

technology, NBS developed a

mobile robot for the Navy that can

be used in place of humans in hazardous environments. This is an example of efforts to advance

computer-based automation

technology thatcan either increase

productivity or relieve humans from

hazardous, tedious or unpleasant

tasks,

Computer experts perfected

an automated method for

processing tax payments for the

Internal Revenue Service. The new

method replaces several

time-consuming manual

operations with one

computer-controlled system. NBS

also began a 1-year contract with

the General Accounting Office to

assess computers as vote

counters. Guidelines should result

that assure accuracy, prevent

fraud and provide immediate data

to election officials.

For the Federal Bureau of

Investigation, NBS made progress

in the development of computer

systems that allow quick

identification of fingerprints. As a

service to American industry, NBS

made available a computer

program package for conversion

of customary units of measurement

into metric units. The Bureau also

helped develop standards for

writing and documenting

computer programs in MUMPS, a medical computer language.

These standards will facilitate the

transfer of computer programs

among medical institutions.
Interaction Is The Key Public Interest

The Bureau doesn't operate in a vacuum. It has numerous daily

contacts with persons in other

government agencies, with trade

associations, with industrial

representatives and with an

inquisitive American public. There

are also formal programs designed

to promote interchange between

NBS and the nation's academic

and industrial communities.

Glassblowers at work during Open House

The Bureau is popular with

many members of the American

public. Most of the letters received

in fiscal 1974—up to 1,000 per

week—wanted more facts about

the metric system. NBS is a Federal

focal point for metric information

and, as such, responds to requests

from teachers, students,

businessmen and the just plain

curious. A new NBS booklet, "What

About Metric?," became a

fast-selling item in Federal

bookstores.

Most of the phone callers

were looking for the time of day.

And the Bureau offered it. Through

its special number in Boulder,

Colo. (303/499-7111), NBS offers

a time-of-day service that is accurate to 30 milliseconds (30

one-thousandths of a second) as

received by the caller. An average

of 13,000 companies and

individuals each week set their

watches and clocks by Bureau

standards. On its third birthday, in November 1973, the service

logged its one millionth call.

The Bureau's public contacts

were highlighted by an open house

in the fall of 1973 at the

Gaithersburg headquarters. The

Bureau opened 100 of its laboratories and put on special

demonstrations for its 35,000

visitors. A similar open house was

planned for the fall of 1974 in Boulder. NBS also hosted 56 major

national and international

conferences during the year.

Thousands call tinne-of-day service
Government Projects

Another significant form of

interaction consists of the

promotion of technology transfer

between the Federal and State

governments and private industry.

A major NBS effort in this area is the

Experimental Technology

Incentives Program which in fiscal

1974 encouraged other Federal

agencies to commit major

resources towards experiments in technology transfer. One objective

is to use the Federal government's

purchasing power as an incentive

to encourage private firms to

redesign their products with

technological improvements as a

goal. Other objectives are to

develop methods and procedures

by which government regulatory

powers and research and

development systems can provide

incentives for technological

changes.

As indicated in the highlights

of fiscal 1974 activity, the Bureau

serves as a major research center

for other Federal departments and

agencies. Among these are the

Departments of Defense,

Transportation, Justice, Housing

and Urban Development, Health,

Education and Welfare, the Atomic

Energy Commission, the National

Aeronautics and Space

Administration and the Consumer

Product Safety Commission. NBS

also serves as the secretariat

(headquarters) for the National

Conference on Weights and

Measures and the National

Conference of States on Building

Codes and Standards.

The Bureau presented three

states with new sets of standards

for weights and measures. The

sets are used to calibrate field

equipment that checks scales and

other measurement instruments for

accuracy. Until the Bureau

launched its replacement program

in 1 966, many states operated with

bars and balances that were 100

years old and older. New York,

Florida and Colorado were the

latest recipients. They joined 39

other states that have already

received new sets of standards to

provide better protection for the

consumer at the supermarket

scales, the gasoline pump or wherever goods are measured and

sold.

Metric Information provided by NBS,

SPEED

LIMIT

MILES PER

HOUR

KILOMETRES

PER HOUR

21
Industry Cooperation

The Research Associate

Program allows scientists arid

engirneers from industrial,

professional and trade

organizations to work at NBS for

specified periods on a full-time

basis, under sponsorship of their

employers. Their projects are of

mutual interest to the sponsor and

to NBS. This program experienced

considerable growth in fiscal 1974.

Twelve new projects were started

Weights for the NBS universal testing machine.

and seven were extended for a

year. Negotiations were underway

for 11 additional projects. At the

end of the year there were 64

Research Associates at NBS

representing six industrial

companies and 15 trade and

professional organizations.

NBS experts provide industry

and commerce with a $2

million-a-year advertised,

reimbursible calibration service

covering a wide range of physical

measurements. As one example,

NBS high-voltage experts

calibrated equipment of a major

electric company's ultra high

voltage test facility. This gave the

company confidence in the

accuracy of its services.

Bureau staff members also

perform a variety of other outside

tasks. Some hold part-time

teaching positions in nearby

colleges and universities and

about 350 serve on 1 ,150technical

committees sponsored by private

standards-writing organizations.

The Bureau's link with the voluntary

standards system is strengthened

by the NBS director serving on the

Board of Directors of the American

National Standards Institute and by

a NBS executive serving on the

Board of Directors of the American

Society for Testing and Materials.

More than 30,000 Standard Reference

Materials sold annually.
Information Services

If the Bureau has any single

product it is information. In addition

to public information programs that

reach a wide audience through

such means as distribution of

consumer-oriented publications,

NBS operates several information

services designed to serve

specific audiences.

The publication of formal

scientific and technical papers and

reports is a major NBS activity.

Over 1 ,000 titles were published in

fiscal 1974. NBS has 13

publication series of its own.

The scientific and

engineering community is served

by the National Standard

Reference Data System (NSRDS).

It consists of a network of more

than two dozen data evaluation

and analysis centers at NBS and

other laboratories. NSRDS

produces critical reviews and

compilations of critically evaluated

data covering the broad field of

physical and chemical properties

of substances.

NBS also operates an

Engineering Standards

Information Center. It handles

approximately 5,000 inquiries

annually from the public and from

other government agencies on the

availability and source of national,

foreign, international, industrial

and State and Federal government

standards. The center maintains a

library of more than 200,000

standards.

Another major information

service is the Standard Reference

Materials (SRM's). Since 1910,

NBS has provided a wide variety of

materials that are used by science,

industry and the technical

community to calibrate accurately

many kinds of measurement

systems. More than 800 different

SRM's are available from NBS and

about 30,000 are sold each year.

For example, in the area of health,

NBS has prepared 20 SRM's to improve the accuracy of clinical

measurements. The cholesterol

SRM, produced in 1967, provided

clinical laboratories a means to

evaluate their measurements. NBS

also recognizes the need to improve cholesterol measurement

techniques and conducted studies

to identify and eliminate the factors

that adversely affect the accuracy

of these measurements.

In the computer field, NBS

develops and recommends to the

Secretary of Commerce, Federal

Information Processing Standards

that increase the economy and

effectiveness of government

computer operations. The

standards are aimed towards

improving compatibility,

interchange and performance of

machines and programs.

Bureau staff member teaching in nearby college.
Funds and Facilities

To operate its many programs

and services in fiscal 1974, the

Bureau received about $100

million. Sixty percent of this money

came from direct Congressional

appropriations, 34 percent came

from other government agencies

for which NBS performed work

and the remaining 6 percent

came from the sale of goods and

services, such as Standard

Reference Materials and

calibrations. NBS Congressional

appropriations have increased

about 1 0 percent for each of the last

5 years. Much of this money has

gone to meet the costs of inflation

and salaries, and to increasing the

amount of contractwork performed

by private firms outside the

Bureau. Funds from other

agencies have also been rising

since 1969, marked by an

increasing shift of these funds from

defense and space work to health,

environment and other social

programs.

NBS work is carried out at two

main locations. Its headquarters

are on a 233-hectare (1 hectare

equals 2.5 acres) site in Gaithersburg, Md., northwest of

Washington, D.C. Twenty-three

buildings on the site are arranged

in a campus-like setting and are located to provide maximum

protection from such interference

as noise vibration and

electromagnetic radiation.

The Bureau's other major

facility is located at Boulder, Colo.

There, with 14 buildings on 83

hectares of land, the Bureau

conducts research in the fields of

cryogenics (very low

temperatures), electromagnetic

measurements, time and

frequency standards, and

quantum electronics. On the

nearby University of Colorado

campus NBS conducts a major

program in atomic and molecular

physics at the Joint Institute for

Laboratory Astrophysics.

NBS has a field station in Fort

Collins, Colo., for Standard

Frequency and Time Interval

Broadcast Stations WWV, WWVB,

and experimental station WWVL.

Another station, WWVH, is operated on Kauai in the Hawaiian

Islands. The Bureau also has a

facility at Clearing, III., which

maintains a railway master track

scale and two test cars that travel

around the country calibrating 17

master track scales owned by

railroads.

NBS has a staff of 3,100

employees—approximately 2,600

at Gaithersburg and 500 at

Boulder. Some 45 percent of the

staff are scientists and engineers

and 12 percent are technicians.

Forty percent of NBS scientists

and engineers have Ph.D.

degrees. The balance of the staff

consists of administrative and

clerical support as well as

housekeeping and grounds

personnel.

24
I oiai iNDo uperaiing punas (an sources)

(in millions of dollars)

fiscal 1973

Provide a national systenn for

physical measurement

physical measurements, units

and standards

reference measurements for

physical quantities

Provide services to improve use"

of materials

properties and performance

of materials

reference materials

environmental pollution

measurements

Provide services to improve the

application of technology

state weights and measures

services

voluntary engineering standards

building science and technology

30.5

I

electronic technology

cryogenic technology

product performance and safety

radiation safety

fire research

illumination technology

Improve the application of

computer technology

Support services to other agencies

. Experimental Technology

Incentives Program

21.2

9.3

19.7

14.3

1.7

3.7

22,1

.5

1.5

7.4

2.9

1.5

4.3

3.0

10.0

2.2

Total 85.3

fiscal 1974

31.7

22.0

9.7

22,0

16.1

2.1

3.8

28,1

1.7

8.9

3.3

1.8

5.8

4.9

.3

9.8

2.5

6.1

100.2

fiscal 1975

(est.)

32.5

22.7

9.3

22,2

16.5

2.0

3.7

31.4

.6

2.0

9.3

4.2

1.7

7.9

1.0

4.4

10.6

2.8

4.4

104.3

25
Organization

The NBS staff is organized

into four major institutes;

• The Institute for Basic

Standards (IBS) provides the

central base within the United

States for a complete and

consistent system of physical

measurements and coordinates

that system with measurement

systems of other nations. It furnishes the research and

essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical

measurements and reliable data

throughout the nation's scientific,

industrial and commercial

communities. IBS also operates

the Boulder Laboratories and

cosponsors the Joint Institute for

Laboratory Astrophysics with the

University of Colorado.

.The Institute for Materials

Research (IMR) conducts

research to provide a better

understanding of the basic

properties of matter and materials

and develops standards for

measuring their properties to help

NBS proving ring used for calibration services.
insure their proper utilization by the

Nation's scientific, industrial and

commercial communities. IMRalso

develops, produces and

distributes Standard Reference

Materials which provide a basis for

calibration of instruments and

equipment, comparison of

measurements on materials and

aid in the control of production

processes in industry.

.The Institute for Applied

Technology (lAT) is concerned

with technological development

and engineering standards in such

areas as building construction, fire

research and safety, consumer

product performance and safety

and electronics. I AT represents the

public interest in the development

of voluntary engineering

standards; develops standards,

tests and services to protect the

public from hazardous products.

The institute also promotes the

performance concept for

evaluating components, products

and technological processes in such areas as building

construction.

.The Institute for Computer

Sciences and Technology (ICST) is the scientific and technical arm of

the Federal government's

automatic data processing

management system. In this role,

ICST provides advisory services to

Federal agencies to support the

formulation of automatic data

processing management and

procurement policies and to assist

individual agencies in solving

specific automation problems.

ICST also develops Federal

Information Processing Standards

and conducts research in computer science and technology.

The institutes are supported

by the Office of the Associate

Director for Administration,

the Office of the Associate

Director for Programs, which

performs policy development and

program analysis and planning,

and the Office of the Associate

Director for Information Programs,

which focuses the flow of

information into and out of NBS and

which manages the National

Standard Reference Data System.

This amalgam of people and

programs forms a community

dedicated to service. As the

Bureau approaches its 75th

anniversary, in 1976, there is unity

within diversity. Accuracy and

precision are hallmarks of the

National Bureau of Standards.

They were present at its creation

in 1901 and continue to live in the

people and the work they produce.

The Boulder campus.

27
People

The National Bureau of Standards was created by Congress in 1901 to meet the needs of a growing nation for a unified measurement

system. From the beginning, the primary resource contributing to the

fulfillment of that mandate has been people. People who provide leadership

and guidance, lend support, assume responsibility and strive to excel.

P Today, there are many individuals who work cooperatively toward

the NBS goal of advancing the nation's science and technology and

promoting the effective application of science and technology for public

benefit. During fiscal 1974, the NBS Executive Board was responsible for

the day-to-day operation of all Bureau programs and activities.

Ml NBS also relied heavily during the yearon the advice and counsel

provided by several panels of distinguished advisors who evaluate the

functions and operations of the Bureau. The NBS Visiting Committee,

created by statute in 1901, conducted its annual review and advised the

Secretary of Commerce on the "efficiency of the Bureau's scientific worj£

I

and condition of its equipment." ^

In addition, the NBS system of Evaluation Panels met and reviewed IrT detail the plans and activities of each technical division and Institute at the

Bureau. These panels are appointed by the National Academy of Sciences,

the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council.

Members of these panels in turn formed an Executive Committee to

consider problems, issues and policies that are common to more than one

area of NBS activity and report to the Director of NBS and the Visiting

Committee on the key findings and recommendations of individual panels.

Finally, a number of NBS staff members were singled out by

[independent and private sector organizations and honored for the

leconomic and social benefits which resulted from their work at the Burei

NBS Executive Board

Dr. Richard W. Roberts

Director

Dr. Ernest Ambler

Deputy Director

I:Dr.

H. E. Sorrows

iAssociate Director for Programs

Robert S, Walleigh

Associate Director

for Administration

Dr. E. L. Brady

Associate Director

for Information Programs

Dr. A. O. McCoubrey

Director,

Institute for Basic Standards

Sir

I

Dr. J. D. Hoffman

Director,

Institute for Materials Research)

Dr. F. K. Willenbrock

Director,

Institute for Applied Technology

Dr. Ruth M. Davis

Director, Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology

NBS Visiting Committee

Dr. J. E. Goldman, Chairman

Senior Vice President,

Research and Development

Xerox Corporation

28
Dr. Arthur M. Bueche

Vice President,

Research and Development

General Electric Company

Dr. John G. Truxal

Dean, College of Engineering

State University

of New York at Stony Brook

Charles E. Peck

Vice President, Construction Group

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation

Dr. Edwin A. Gee

Senior Vice President

E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company

Evaluation Panel Executive

Committee

Dr. W. O. Baker, Chairman

President

Bell Laboratories

Bruno Augenstein

(Chairman, Institute for Computer

Sciences and Technology Panel)

SpectraVision, Inc.

Professor Raymond A. Bauer

(Chairman, Institute for Applied Technology Panel)

Harvard Business School

Dr. Arthur M. Bueche

(Member-at-Large)

Vice President

Research and Development

General Electric Company

Dr. Harry C. Gates

(Chairman, Office of Standard

Reference Data Panel)

Department of ivletallurgy

and Materials Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. N, B. Hannay

(Chairman, Institute for Materials Research Pane!)

Vice President-Research and Patents

Bell Laboratories

Dr. Walter R. Hibbard, Jr. (Member-at-Large)

Vice President-Technical Services

Owens-Cornmg Fiberglas Corporation

Dr. Roland W. Schmitt

(Chairman, Institute for Basic Standards Panel)

Research and Development Manager

Physical Science and Engineering

General Electric Research

and Development Center

Dr. I. C. Schoonover

(Member-at-Large)

retired. Deputy Director

National Bureau of Standards

Michael Witunski

(Member-at-Large)

McDonnell Douglas Corporation

Evaluation Panel Institute

For Basic Standards

Dr. Roland W. Schmitt, Chairman

Research and Development Manager,

Physical Science and Engineering

General Electric Research

and Development Center

Dr. Herbert P. Broida (Chairman,

Optical Physics Division Panel)

Department of Physics

University of California

at Santa Barbara

Professor Robert J. Collins

(Chairman, Quantum Electronics

Division Panel)

Department of Electrical Engineering

University of Minnesota

Professor James W. Daily

(Chairman, Mechanics Division Pane!)

Department of Applied Mechanics

and Engineering Science

University of Michigan

Professor Ronald Geballe

(Chairman, Laboratory Astrophysics

Division Panel)

Associate Dean

College of Art and Sciences

University of Washington

Professor Ira J. Hirsh

(Chairman, Acoustics

and Vibration Panel)

Research Department

Central Institute for the Deaf

Dr. Charles M, Huggins

(Chairman, Time

and Frequency Division Panel)

Corporate Research and Development

General Electric Company

29
mmmimmmmmmmmmm.

Murray S. Klamkin

(Chairman, Applied Mathematics

Division Panel)

Scientific Research Staff Ford Motor Company

Professor Donald N. Langenberg

(Chairman, Cryogenics

Division Panel)

Department of Physics

University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Darrell W. Osborne

(Chairman, Heat Division Panel)

Senior Chemist

Argonne National Laboratory

Robert A, Soderman

(Chairman, Electromagnetics

Division Panel)

General Radio Company

Douglas C. Strain

(Chairman, Electricity Division Panel)

Electro Scientific Industries, inc.

Dr. Richard F. Taschek

(Chairman, Center for Radiation

Research Panel)

University of California

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Evaluation Panel Institute

For Materials Research

Dr. N. B. Hannay, Chairman

Vice PresidentResearch and Patents

Bell Laboratories

Professor Morris Cohen

Department of Metallurgy

and Materials Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Warren E. Falconer

(Chairman, Physical Chemistry

Division Panel,

Assistant Chemical Director

Bell Laboratories

Dr. Herbert I. Fusfetd

Director of Research

Kennecott Copper Corporation

Dr. Robert i. Jaffee

(Chairman, Metallurgy Division Panel)

Senior Fellow,

Materials Science Department

Battelle Columbus Laboratories

Dr. Frank E. Jamerson

(Chairman, Measures

for Air Quality Panel)

Head, Physics Department

General Motors Technical Center

Dr. David W. McCall

(Chairman, Polymers Division Panel)

Chemical Director

Bell Laboratories

Charles J. Meechan

Corporate Vice-President

Research and Engineering

Rockwell International

Dr. George H. Morrison

(Chairman, Analytical Chemistry

Division Panel)

Department of Chemistry

Cornell University

Dr., R. J. Stokes

(Chairman, Inorganic Materials

Division Panel)

Manager, Materials Science Department

Honeywell Corporate Research Center

Dr. Max L. Yeater

(Chairman, Reactor Radiation

Division Panel)

Professor and Curriculum Chairman,

Nuclear Engineering

School of Engineering

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Evaluation Panel Institute

For Applied Technology

Professor Raymond A, Bauer, Chairman

Harvard Business School

William D. Carey

Vice President

Arthur D. Little, Inc.

Professor Howard W. Emmons

(Chairman, Fire Program Panel)

Division of Engineering

and Applied Physics

Harvard University

S. David Freeman

Project Director

The Energy Policy Project

Dr. George N. Hatsopoulos

President

Thermo Electron Corporation

30
Dr. Hubert Heffner

Professor, Applied Phyi

Electrical Engineering

Stanford University

Henry Rowen

(Chairman, Technical Analysts

Division Panel)

School of Business Administration

Stanford University

Dr. Gordon K. Teal

(Chairman, Electronic

Technology Division Panel)

retired, Texas Instruments, Inc.

Dr. G. King Walters

Department of Physics

Rice University

Dr. Paul Weidlinger

(Chairman, Center for Building lechnology Panel)

Weidlinger Associates,

Consulting Engineers

Foster C. Wilson,

(Chairman, Programmatic Center

for Consumer Product Safety Panel)

Group Manager

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation

Evaluation Panel Institute

For Computer Sciences And

Technology

Bruno Augenstein, Chairman

SpectraVision, Inc.

Dr. Jordan Baruch

Lecturer on Business Administration

Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration

Dr. Julian Bigelow

Institute for Advanced

Dr. William E. Bradley

President

Puredesai

Walter M. Carlson

Advanced Market

Development Consultant

IBM Corporation

Dr. Lawrence Goldmuntz

Robert Nathan Associates

Dr. Robert R. Johnson

Vice President, Engineering

Burroughs Corporation

Professor Alan K. McAdams

Graduate School

of Business and Public Administration

Cornell University

Dr. Kurt E. Shuler

University of California at San Diego

Revelle College

Department of Chemistry

Dr. Daniel Teichroew

Professor, Department of Industrial and

Operations Engineering

University of Michigan

Dr. T. F. Walkowicz

National Aviation Corporation

Alfred R. Zipf

Executive Vice President

Bank of America

NBS Award Winners

. Marshall Isler, program manager in the Law Enforcement Standards

Laboratory, was selected for the Congressional Fellowship Program. He

was only the second NBS employee to be so honored.

. Dr. Ruth M. Davis, director of the Institute for Computer Sciences

and Technology, won a coveted Rockefeller Public Service Award for her

leadership in the field of computer technology.

. Dr. John D. Hoffman, director of the Institute for Materials Research,

was elected to a 3 year term on the American Society for Testing and

!\/latehals Board of Directors.

. Dr. Alexander F. Robertson, technical assistant in the fire programs,

won the S. H. Ingberg Award of the American Society for Testing and

31
Materials' Committee E-5 on Fire Tests of Materials and &/tKKmJCtions. It I

was awarded for outstanding achievements in fire resistance research! and I

in fire loss prevention. m

. Marguerite R. Hubanks, a management analyst, received an award "

for outstanding actiievementfor the Association of Records Executives and

Administrators. It was the first such award presented to an NBS employee.

. Thomas N. Pyke, Jr., acting chief of the Computer Systems

Engineering Division, received the Washington Academy of Sciences'

Award for Scientific Achievement in Engineering Sciences.

. Dr. David G. Hummer, chairman of the Joint Institute for Laboratory

Astrophysics, received an Arthur S. Flemming Award which honors

outstanding young government executives.

. Robert Griffin, an information specialist in the Product Evaluation

Technology Division, won a first-place award from the Federal Editors

Association for his editing of the NBS booklet, "What About Metric?"

. Charles A. Douglis of the Optical Radiation Section, Heat Division,

received the Federal Aviation Administration's Award for Extraordinary

Service for his achievements in designing and developing aviation lighting

systems.

. Forest K. Harris, consultant to the Electricity Division, received the Si

Fluor Achievement Award from the Instrument Society of America for his

advancements in the knowledge of absolute electrical measurements and

for publication of Electrical Measurements, considered a landmark

textbook.

• Charles G. Culver, of the Office of Federal Building Technology, won

the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize of the American

Society of Civil Engineers. He was chosen for his contributions to structural

research, particularly composite beams, curved highway bridges and steel

columns.

• William C. Cullen, a chemist in the Center for Building Technology,

received the J. A. Piper Award from the National Roofing Contractors

Association for his work in roofing technology.

• Dale E. Newbury, of the Surface Microanalysis Section, received the

1973 Robert Lansing Hardy Gold Medal of the Metallurgical Society of the

American Institute of Metallurgical Engineers (AIME), "in recognition of

exceptional promise of a successful career in the field of metallurgy."

. Paul F. Roth, a computer specialist, in the Institute for Computer

Sciences and Technology, was honored by the Association for Computing

Machinery, for "significant achievement in simulation." m

. Bourden Scribner, retired deputy chief of the Analytical Chemistry H

Division, was notified that the American Society for Testing and Materials

Committee on Emission Spectroscopy has established the B. F. Scribner

Award for "outstanding service to the committee."

. Robert D. Cutkosky, acting chief of the Absolute Electrical

Measurements Section, was elevated by the Institute of Electronic and

Electrical Engineers (IEEE) to the grade of Fellow.

• Gordon M. Kline, retired chief of the Polymer Division, was one of

eleven persons elected to inaugurate the newly established Plastics Hall of

Fame. Kline was elected for "his extensive and significant work in the

science and technology of plastics."

m

32
Office of

Legal Adviser

Office of Professional

and

Academic Liaison

Office of Engineering

and Information

Processing Standards

Director

Deputy Director

Office of the

Associate Director

for Programs

Office of

Experimental

Technology

Incentives Program

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS