Welcome to the ACS Division of the History of Chemistry Homepage
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The ChemHIST Talks videos are now available on the HIST youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@histacs.ChemHIST Talks is a series drawn from the HIST speakers at the two national ACS meetings/year and would be chosen by vote of the Executive Committee. The webinar will be on a Wednesday, Noon PT, approximately a month after the national meeting. The latest presentations were given on September 23, 2026. If you would like to view these talks, go directly to the youtube channel or click HERE. |
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An Update from The Oesper Collections - September 2026
The Oesper Collections is now hosting regular open hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on days the University is open. Faculty, students, researchers, and visitors are welcome to stop in to explore the collections, view historical scientific apparatus, and learn more about our holdings. No appointment is needed during open hours, and visits outside these times can be arranged by request. For those attending the Central Regional Meeting in November, a tour of the Oesper Collections is scheduled for 6pm on Sunday, November 15th. You can also explore our digital apparatus collections and Bill Jensen's hand-drawn scientific caricatures on JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/site/uc/oesper/ Please contact Mark Chalmers at mark.chalmers@uc.edu with any questions.
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HIST and Substantia announce the winner of the 2025 HIST-Substantia Outstanding Paper Award. Anthony S. Travis has won for his paper “The Discovery and Analysis of PFAS ('Forever Chemicals') in Human Blood and Biological Materials,” Substantia 2024, 8(1), 7-24.. |
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Joseph B. Lambert HIST Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS for the 2027 Joseph B. Lambert HIST Award |
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A pdf of the 150th Anniversary of the ACS volume, is available by clicking on the title: ACS150-The American Chemical Society at 150 Reflections on the Years 2002-2026. The HIST contribution was written by Seth C. Rasmussen. |
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The recipient of the 2026 Joseph B. Lambert HIST Award of the Division of the History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society is Annette Lykknes. This award is the successor to the Dexter Award (1956-2001) and the Sydney M. Edelstein Award (2002-2009), also administered by the Division of the History of Chemistry. The HIST Award was presented to Professor Lykknes on Tuesday, August 25th, at the fall national meeting of the American Chemical Society in August 2026 in Chicago, IL. |
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The HIST award for the Paul R. Jones Outstanding Paper Award for 2025 has been awarded to Prof. Dr. Robert Heimann for the paper “The German Polymath Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus (1651-1708) and His Pursuit of the European Hard-Paste Porcelain Formula” ((Bull. Hist. Chem. 2025, 50 (2), 80-92). The award is presented to the author of the best paper published in the Bulletin for the History of Chemistry during the previous three years, 2023, 2024, 2025. |
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HIST Citations for Chemical Breakthrough Award
Presented annually to multiple awardees beginning in 2006, these awards recognize seminal chemistry publications, books and patents. The term "breakthrough" refers to advances in the fields of science embraced by the American Chemical Society that have been revolutionary in concept, broad in scope, and long-term in impact. Each award will be made to the department or institution where the breakthrough occurred, not to the individual scientist(s) or inventors. |
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As ACS celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2026, the invited ACS150 Anniversary Collection brings together contributions from editors and leading researchers to reflect on the evolution of and to explore the future across various research areas that span the chemical sciences.
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Starting on September 1, 2024, the Youth Protection Policy will take effect, and it details the expectations for volunteers at ACS Youth Events. ACS has partnered with Sterling Volunteers to conduct all background checks. This policy applies to all adults volunteering at ACS Youth Events in the U.S. The email from ACS with links is found HERE.With National Chemistry Week approaching, ACS asks all Divisions and Local Sections to share the ACS Background Check link with volunteers as soon as possible. Events scheduled before the end of September have a grace period and are exempt from the new policy. However, it is imperative for volunteers to familiarize themselves with the process and request a background check soon. All volunteers for ACS Youth Events after October 1 must comply with the Youth Protection Policy-no exceptions. |
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The HIST Division has been asked to share the updated ACS Volunteer and Participant Code of Conduct Policy with our members. The email can be found HERE. |
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Bolton Society
The Bolton Society is a program for bibliophiles organized by the Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History at the Science History Institute. The Bolton Society encourages and promotes the individual love for and collection of all types of printed material devoted to chemistry and related sciences. It also supports the activities of the Othmer Library and encourages book donations from members. Established in April 2000, the Bolton Society is named after Henry Carrington Bolton (1843-1903), a chemist, historian, academic, bibliophile, and renowned bibliographer of chemistry. His Select Bibliography of Chemistry created the definitive list of chemical books published from 1492 to 1902. Anyone who believes in the Bolton Society's mission can join. Members include bibliophiles, academic and industrial chemists, chemical engineers, philatelists, librarians, historians, and booksellers. The Society meets on Zoom and attracts an international membership. To join please fill out the form. |
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The ACS Division of the History of Chemistry (HIST) is celebrating its hundredth birthday as an ACS Division in 2022. Parts of our celebration of HIST's Centennial Year are:
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The Division of the History of Chemistry (HIST) recognizes the value of supporting the organization of symposia, conferences, or meetings that benefit the study and promotion of the history of chemistry. If you are organizing such an event and would like to request financial support (typically, $500 per traditional half-day session), please submit THIS FORM to the Division's Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Vera Mainz (mainz@illinois.edu) no later than two weeks before the HIST Executive Committee meets to consider such requests (i.e., during the national ACS meetings, usually in late March and late August). Most successful requests are submitted at least six months before the actual symposium or conference takes place. It should not be expected that late submissions will be considered. |
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The Bulletin for the History of Chemistry v51(1), 2026, is now available to members. Check out the Table of Contents. |
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The HIST Division archives are at the Science History Institute (formerly known as the Chemical Heritage Foundation). The finding aid is available HERE. |
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Previous Announcements on this page. |
