Committee Meeting Minutes for 1956

A meeting of the Committee of the British Mathematical Colloquium was held in St. Salvator's Hall. St. Andrews at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5th , 1956.

Professor H R Pitt was appointed Chairman.
Dr M E Noble was elected Secretary and coopted on to the Committee.
It was decided to hold the next Colloquium in Nottingham at some time in the first half of September, the exact dates to be fixed by the Secretary.
The expenses of the invited foreign speakers were discussed and it was suggested that in future the Colloquium should approach the British Council to help meet such expenses.
It was decided that for the present the Committee would continue with the practice of inviting two foreign guest speakers.
It was decided to donate £50 to the funds of the forthcoming International Congress of Mathematicians.
It was agreed that the Secretary should request certain people in advance to organise 'Splinter' groups on arrival at the coming Colloquium.
The programme for the 1957 Colloquium was discussed and it was agreed that one day should be devoted to each of (i) Analysis (ii) Algebra and Number Theory (iii) Geometry and Topology.
There was discussion about cancelling the 1958 Colloquium in view of the International Congress to be held in Edinburgh in August 1958. It was agreed to leave the final decision to the Colloquium in Nottingham but to get an indication of the feeling of the present Colloquium by a show of hands.*
It was decided to follow up a tentative invitation to hold the Colloquium after the next in Hull. Cardiff was suggested as a possible alternative.

Note:
When a show of hands was counted at a lecture on Thursday, September 6th , 1956, it was found that there were approximately equal numbers for and against the proposal to hold a Colloquium in 1958.

Minutes signed by Richard Rado [undated].