OSA’s Finances in the 1980s

In 1980, the Society made a major change in its operation when it purchased its own headquarters building in Washington, D.C. Henceforth, mortgage payments and maintenance costs would take the place of rent. Some investments had to be sold to make the move possible, and the Society initiated a major fund drive, the Optics Center Fund.

That year, OSA had 8,388 members, and dues had been raised to $45. Membership included subscriptions to a veritable library of journals, including JOSA, Applied Optics, Optics Letters, Optics News and Physics Today. On the other hand, subscription costs of these journals to non-members had risen substantially. JOSA had generated an income of $383,296 that year, and expenses of $314,940, for a net of $71,356; Applied Optics brought in $1,003,139, which was offset by expenses of $863,027 to yield a net of $140,112.

Optics and Spectroscopy had a net income of $44,100 and the Soviet Journal of Optical Technology operated at a net loss of $8,255. The journal Optics Letters was relatively new; it had begun in mid-1977 and was still being distributed free to members. Thus, it was not yet fully established in non-member subscriptions, and posted a net loss of $25,456. Optics News, the Society news magazine (the precursor to OPN), had very few sources of income and thus had a net loss of $45,186. Altogether, the Society’s publications showed net revenue of $176,671.