The author of this annual report and committee chair is indebted to members of the committee, indicated below, who continue to support the chemical heritage of the ACS New York Section.

The major initiative of the committee this year was the Section’s designation of The Chemists’ Club as an Historic Chemical Landmark. The NY Section has been involved in several National Landmarks (The ACS national Historic Chemical landmarks Committee) including the Bakelyzer, Havemeyer Hall, Rockefeller University, John Draper and the Founding of the ACS, and the Polymer research Institute. However this is the first such designation as a local section historic chemical landmark. The committee feels that this may serve as a model to inspire other local sections to designate sites of historic chemical interest, which might not meet the criteria for a national designation.

It is appropriate that the New York Section honor The Chemists’ Club, since both organizations were closely aligned in their formative years. At the March 1896 meeting of the New York Section, William H. Nichols, Charter member of the ACS and benefactor of the Nichols Medal initiated the idea of forming a chemists’ club. As the regular meetings were formal, dealing with business and the presentation of papers, what was needed was an informal atmosphere, where papers could be discussed more casually. It was also felt that this would lead to promotion of the profession. In addition, although the ACS maintained its headquarters in New York through the 1890s, it had no place to set up its chemical library, to which books were steadily being donated.

A committee, with Charles Chandler of Columbia University as chairman, was appointed by Peter Austen, Chair of the Section, to organize the club, but it was not until December 12, 1898, that the Chemists’ Club was finally organized.

From 1898 until 1911, Section meetings were held in the Mendelssohn Rooms, 108 West 55th street, which was also the headquarters of the newly formed Chemists’ Club. In 1909, Morris Loeb, then president of the Club, Chair of the New York Section, and son of a prominent banker, shared his family’s financial expertise and designed the plan that enabled the club to construct its own building, and donated the land on which the building stands. When the Chemists’ Club building was finally ready in March 1911, The Club moved its one thousand members into its new ten-story home at 52 East 41st Street.

In 1911, and for many years thereafter, the NY Section meetings were held in the new Chemists’ Club building where we gather this evening. Its library would develop into a storehouse of information critically needed during World War I and even World War II. Great service was also provided through the personal associations that were cultivated at the Chemists’ Club lunches, dinners and various meetings.

In the charter granted by the State of New York in 1898, the Chemists’ Club stated that its objectives were “to promote the interests of chemists and those interested in the science and applications of chemistry, and to this end to provide a place in which members may come together for social intercourse and meetings, to equip the same with books and periodicals relating to the science of chemistry and to general literature.”
For more than a century the Club has met these objectives in different ways, reflecting the changes occurring within its membership, the chemical profession, American society, and world events.

The designation ceremony was held at the original home of the Chemists’ Club, at 52 East 41st Street in Manhattan. The event was held in conjunction with the Club’s annual Egg Nog Party, on December 12, 2006. The event was attended by more than 150 friends of the Chemists’ Club and the ACS New York Section, and featured after dinner speaker Bill Nye “The Science Guy.”

The Committee on the History of the New York Section takes great pride in co-sponsoring this historic event with The Chemists’ Club as well as Societe de Chimie Industrielle. One of the goals of the Section is to co-sponsor events with other scientific organizations.

Following are some photos from the December 12th event at The Chemists’ Club.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. John Sharkey
Committee Chair