Joining nations 1947-1990

60

JOINING NATIONS

thermal spraying and surfacing, thus meeting the wishes of the Sub– Commission IC which had previously been responsible for these subjects. Since Dr Wallner's term of office as President would expire in 1987, the Governing Council was required to elect his successor at Tokyo. The candidate proposed by the Executive Council was Mr R V Salkin whose career had, as it happened, certain similarities with that of Dr Wallner. He too was a metallurgist who had gained his experience in industry. He also had been a member of Commission IX over which he had successfully presided during the previous nine years. As a member of the Belgian delegation, his election conferred upon his country the unique distinction of providing three of the 14 Presidents elected up to that time. The position of Chairman of Commission IX as a stepping stone to the Executive Council was further emphasised at Tokyo with the retirement of Mr Granjon from lhe post of Scientific and Technical Secretary which he had occupied since resigning the chairmanship of Commission IX in 1974. During his 1 2 years at the Secretariat, the IIW had encountered many problems, not least those associated with the oil crisis, worldwide inflation and recession. Mr Granjon's imagination and open-mindedness had enabled him to give an out– standing lead in ensuring that the IIW adapted itself as smoothly as possible to circumstances which often appeared to be changing for the worse. This leadership was not confined to trying to make the structure and programmes of the working units more responsive to the current environment; it also extended to the concept of a regional structure and all that such a concept implied. His departure was universally lamented, as was that of his wife who had served as French delegate on Commission VIII since its creation. The IIW was fortunate to be able to elect as successor to Mr Granjon his close colleague and assistant, Mr M Bramat, the present holder of the office of Scientific and Technical Secretary, who has brought to his position a wealth of experience of the IIW and the manifold personal qualities which justified his election. One of the subjects which had been of particular interest to him had been the eventual creation, approved in principle at Tokyo, of an IIW databank. It was therefore appropriate that he had the task of presenting to the Governing Council at the following Assembly in Sofia in 1987 detailed proposals in this connection. These proposals, prepared in conjuction with the Study Group Scientific and Technical Information, were approved and included: