Upload
chemical-heritage-foundation
View
218
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Transmutations is a newsletter published three times per year for supporters of the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
Citation preview
Progress Report on the Chemical
Heritage Foundation’s 25th Anniversary
Initiative TransmutationsN O . 1 ■ A U T U M N 2 0 0 5 Treasure the past Educate the present Inspire the futureN O . 1 ■ A U T U M N 2 0 0 5
Bill Nye Helps CHFIntroduce the 25th Anniversary Initiative
Bill Nye, “The Science Guy,” appeared in
Philadelphia on 19 April to give the Heritage
Hour talk at the spring meeting of CHF’s board of
directors. Earlier, Nye had featured CHF in an
episode of the Science Channel’s series The 100
Greatest Discoveries. Not surprisingly, Nye
shares our enthusiasm for chemical heritage.
“Chemistry affects all of us every moment of
every day; everything you can touch and see was
created by chemists. So to know your place in
your own world, you should know about the
history of chemistry,” he said.
After a dinner attended by the CHF board, affiliates, and
friends, Nye introduced CHF’s president, Arnold Thackray, who
announced the foundation’s 25th Anniversary Initiative. The
$75-million campaign will enable CHF to share the story of
chemical achievement and innovation more effectively than
ever. First, CHF aims to a new level of programmatic maturity
with the establishment of the Roy Eddleman Institute for
Interpretation and Education (see page 4) and the Center for
Contemporary History and Policy. Second, the physical transfor-
mation of CHF’s building will reflect the programmatic goals
of the strategic planning process, with new and expanded
educational space, including enlarged exhibit and conference
facilities, as well as additional areas devoted to the use and
To know your
place in your
own world,
you should
know about
the history of
chemistry.
Left: Bill Nye visits CHF to discussgreat discoveries in the history ofchemistry with CHF’s president,Arnold Thackray, for the filming of a program for the Science Channel.Above: Nye returns to share his enthu-siasm for chemical heritage during a Heritage Hour talk at the springmeeting of CHF’s board of directors. Photos by Douglas A. Lockard.
c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 9
specialization have followed ascending exponential curves
through the last one hundred years.
Together these realities create an urgent set of needs:
• to tell the glorious story of chemical achievement
to a world at once jaded, suspicious, and fearful—
yet yearning for better medicine, nutrition, and
material resources;
• to recruit fresh generations to the age-old adventure
of advancing knowledge and improving life;
• to bring balanced perspectives and honest information
to public discussion; to provide a fuller understanding
of the promise of innovation; and to facilitate an
enlightened science policy;
• to record modern science and innovation, even as it
further accelerates; and
• to preserve the growing record of this most central of
human achievements.
Thanks to the faith and work of friends and supporters
in all 50 states and overseas—corporations, trade and
professional organizations, foundations, and above all,
individuals—CHF today enjoys:
• collections with a value in excess of $25 million;
• an annual budget of over $10 million; and
• endowments and board reserves of over $125 million.
Imaginative action by committed individuals, careful
stewardship, sacrificial giving of time and talents—and
above all the urgency of the mission of CHF—these have
established CHF as the central place for the central science.
With our unique ability to treasure the past, we must continue
to use the glorious record of the past to fulfill CHF’s mission
to educate the present and inspire the future. After an intensive,
two-year period of reflection and strategic planning, the
board of the Chemical Heritage Foundation announced our
25th Anniversary Initiative on 19 April 2005. Through this
and future newsletters we want to let you know of our goals
and progress and to invite you to join us.
A note from the president
Why Have a Chemical Heritage Foundation? In one
form or another, everyone associated with CHF—affiliated
organizations, staff, the board of directors, scholars, visitors,
magazine subscribers, or Web surfers—whether supporter or
supplier, has asked some version of this question.
Things chemical are the stuff of life, of health, of material
progress. From humankind’s first attempts to harness fire,
through centuries of alchemy, to today’s focus on biotechnology,
electronics, and nanotechnology, chemicals and chemistry
have been central to all that is distinctively human.
Depending on your definitions, the chemical heritage is
anything from almost two hundred years old (the modern,
science-based, “high-tech” form of the heritage) to over four
millennia in age. So why was CHF created in 1982? The
answer is important.
Because of the very success of the chemical sciences,
world population (think Fritz Haber and nitrogen fixation-
fertilizers), literacy and education (think books, paper, and
printing technologies), travel and communications (think oil,
polymers, and silicon chips), and professionalization and
2
CHF’s president, Arnold Thackray, with Thomas Reilly, and Robin and Fred Webber during a campaign event hosted by Fred Webber
at the City Club of Washington in Washington, D.C.Photo by CHF staff.
Meet the Campaign Leaders
William Stavropoulosof Dow
The success of CHF’s 25th Anniversary Initiative is the product
of the work of many dedicated volunteers. Taking an early
lead in spearheading the $15 million industry portion of the
campaign was William S. Stavropoulos, chairman of the
board of directors of The Dow Chemical Company. He
became involved in fall 2004 after a careful look at CHF’s
plans and leadership. After helping to refine
the industry campaign, he recruited other
industry leaders to cochair the campaign with
him: Klaus Peter Lobbe, chairman and CEO of
BASF Corporation, and Peter Huntsman, CEO of
Huntsman Corporation. Chairing the Honorary
Committee of the Initiative is John Haas,
philanthropist and chemical company execu-
tive, who will be profiled in our next issue.
Stavropoulos began his career in pharma-
ceutical research with Dow in 1967 and headed
several divisions before becoming chief oper-
ating officer in 1993. He served as CEO from
1995 to 2000 and was then brought out of
retirement in 2002 to serve in that position
again until 2004; he has served on Dow’s
board since 1990. He is past chairman of the
American Chemistry Council and the Society of
Chemical Industry, American Section, and is
the recipient of numerous awards, including
the Palladium Medal of the Société de Chimie
Industrielle and the Chemical Industry Medal of the Society
of Chemical Industry. In addition Stavropoulos serves on the
boards of BellSouth Corporation, Maersk Inc., NCR Corporation,
and the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.
Stavropoulos particularly supports the components of the
25th Anniversary Initiative that relate to public understanding
of chemistry’s role in modern life. He believes the new
Center for Contemperary History and Policy, with its histor-
ically based approach, will serve as a source of credible
authoritative information for both the general public and the
industry. “I really believe that CHF has the ability and
credibility to cut through the fog that’s out there, the
misunderstanding of the chemical industry.” Stavropoulos
laments the disparity between the public’s and insider’s
views of the chemical industry. “What we see as the science
of chemistry, improving people’s lives, the public largely
sees as manufacturers of chemicals whose use is at best
obscure, and whose danger is manifest. [CHF] has the
intellectual capacity to tell our story in a clear and coherent
way to the public, to NGOs, and to the government.”
Stavropoulos appreciates the approach taken by the
Roy Eddleman Institute for Interpretation and Education. Its
many activities, described elsewhere in this issue, are
important to those who care about the future of the scientific
enterprise because they not only increase general science
literacy but also inspire young people to consider careers
in the chemical and molecular sciences and industries.
CHF is deeply grateful for his enthusiastic support of the
campaign and its goals.
I really believe
that CHF has
the ability and
credibility to
cut through
the fog that’s
out there,
the misunder-
standing of
the chemical
industry.
William Stavropoulos, chairman of the board of directors of The Dow Chemical Company. Photo by Sam Pieprzyca.
3
The newly organized Roy Eddleman Institute for
Interpretation and Education is the public face of the
Chemical Heritage Foundation. The naming gift was
announced to the public on 19 April 2005, as part of the
launch of the 25th Anniversary Initiative. While many
organizations promote science or chemistry education,
CHF is unique in that it bases its outreach programs on
its unparalleled collections. These books, archives, oral
histories, artworks, instruments, and apparatus embody
the human story of chemical achievement. Encompassing
a wide range of activities, the institute will convey to a
broad audience the excitement and implications of chem-
ical innovation through the ages. Robert Hicks, director
of the Roy Eddleman Institute, summarizes CHF’s basic
message of chemistry as an activity deeply rooted in
human experience, a message which underlies all the
institute’s programs: “The chemical sciences have fur-
nished insights into the make-up of the material world
and the very nature of life itself.”
The institute
seeks to
increase general
science literacy
and inspire
young people
to consider
careers in
science.
The Roy Eddlemafor Interpretatio
The Alchemist at Work, by Mattheus van Helmont, is part of CHF’s EddlemanCollection of alchemical paintings. The iconic image of a practicingchemist studying fluid in a flask persists today.Photo by Will Brown.
4
5
an Instituten and Education
Laura Turner (left), assistant image archivist, takes a visitor through CHF’s latest exhibit,The Sky’s the Limit.
Consistent with CHF’s mission, the insti-
tute broadly strives to treasure the past,
educate the present, and inspire the future.
More specifically the institute seeks to
increase general science literacy and inspire
young people to consider careers in science.
Its strategy is to maximize its impact in these
areas by reaching those who reach and influ-
ence others, rather than delivering programs
directly (although CHF’s Web resources are
available to all). “We are the ‘wholesaler’
that creates outreach programs, which oth-
ers can ‘retail’ for global consumption,”
explains Hicks. Key audiences are science
teachers and those who set science educa-
tion policy.
The Eddleman Institute’s activities can be
divided into three areas: education, exhibits
and collections, and fellowships.
Education■ The institute is collaborating
with television producers in
the creation of a number of
programs for broadcast. A NOVA
biography of African American
chemist Percy Julian will be aired nationally in 2006,
and will be complemented by materials on the CHF
Web site. Also in the works is a six-hour prime-time
PBS television series on the history of chemistry enti-
tled Mystery of Matter, created in partnership with
documentarian Stephen Lyons, a 2004 Haas Fellow at
CHF. The series will be accompanied by a traveling
exhibit, a book, video-based educational modules, and
Web projects.
The chemical
sciences have
furnished
insights into
the make-up
of the material
world and the
very nature of
life itself.
Stephen Lyons (left), documen-tarian and 2004 Haas Fellow,has been working on a PBStelevision series on the history of chemistry.Photo by Steven Begleiter.
Top: Percy Julian portrait.Courtesy of the DePauw University Archives and Special Collections.
■ Using the new opportunities offered by the World Wide
Web, the institute will develop an authoritative Web- based
resource on the history of chemical science and industry. A
major feature of the “Explore Chemical History” section of
CHF’s site will be a timeline with drop-down descriptions of
major events, discoveries, and personalities. Another major
component of our Web-based educational efforts is
Science Alive!, a series of modules portraying the lives of
contemporary scientists in their social context. These
stories help visitors understand the factors that encour-
aged or discouraged individual scientists in their pursuits
and can inspire young people to see science as a human
endeavor undertaken not in isolation but within a broader
context. By blending science and social science, Science
Alive! will reach both science and humanities teachers.
■ For five years, CHF has held the annual Leadership Initiative
in Science Education (LISE) conference to explore aspects
of science education, ranging from “best practices” in
science education to ways of encouraging minority
participation in science careers. LISE is unique in bringing
together a range of participants, including academics,
administrators, entrepreneurs, teachers, industry represen-
tatives, government officials, and other policy makers.
■ The institute proposes to establish a biennial summer sem-
inar on the history and nature of science for master teachers
and educational administrators. Building on CHF’s current
workshops for teachers, the seminar will focus on science
as a human achievement and will lead to the development
of model science and social studies curricula to be posted
on our Web site.
6
Above: Participants at the fifthannual Leadership Initiative on Science Education.
Top Right: Norman Lederman,chair and professor of mathe-matics and science education atthe Illinois Institute of Technology,addresses “Inquiry and the Natureof Science” during LISE 5.
Right: M. Blouke Carus, chairmanand CEO of Carus Corporation, talkswith a participant during LISE 5.Photos by Douglas A. Lockard.
Bottom Left: A web capture ofCHF’s new Science Alive!Web site featuring Percy Julian.
7
About Roy Eddleman
Roy Eddleman, the man who now seeks to share his
enthusiasm for chemistry through the institute that bears
his name, has been fascinated with chemistry since
childhood. Born in 1940 and raised in Kannapolis, North
Carolina, Eddleman began experimenting with Chemcraft
and Gilbert chemistry sets at an early age. He assembled
his own laboratory in the basement of the family home
by sixth grade and credits his eighth-grade science
teacher with inspiring his serious pursuit of chemistry.
With her encouragement, he earned numerous awards at
science fairs. He attended the University of North
Carolina and UCLA for a time, but was soon consumed by
his passion for the commercial and entrepreneurial
aspects of chemistry, which he first encountered in his
work as an analytical biochemist for CalBiochem.
In 1970 Eddleman founded Spectrum Medical
Industries to create radioimmunoassay tests for clinical
chemistry. While the tests themselves were not a com-
mercial success, the equipment that Spectrum sold for
the tests did prove to be profitable. Now known as
Spectrum Laboratories, the company develops and sells
membranes and membrane devices for existing and
emerging applications, including separation and
purification of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, food,
beverages, and fluids for industry and research.
Eddleman has patented (with others) many products,
including the successful “fleaker,” a combination of the
Griffin beaker and the Erlenmeyer flask, and coauthored
a series of patents involving magnetic particle separation
for clinical chemistry assays.
Clearly, Eddleman’s professional
experience underlies his conviction
that no aspect of contemporary life is
untouched by chemistry. His interests
also reach back to the origins of chem-
istry, which are illustrated in artworks
depicting alchemists at work. “Alchemy
was not simply quackery but includes
real science,” he says, citing alchemists’
work in manufacturing dyes, paints, and
medicines, as well as improving the
quality of metals and glass.
In 2002 Eddleman donated to CHF a
collection of 17th- through 19th-century
alchemical paintings along with funds
for their care. Further discussions
ensued, leading to his commitment to
create the new institute. He and Robert
Hicks, the institute’s director, have been discussing plans
for the new endeavor, which will feature new techniques
in imaging and exhibit design. “Roy sees the promise of
new technologies to convey information and excite
young people, and is eager for us to take the lead in
using them at CHF,” says Hicks. The man who himself
was inspired as a child and encouraged by a knowledge-
able teacher seeks similarly to engage and inspire the
next generation through the Roy Eddleman Institute for
Interpretation and Education.
The man who
himself was
inspired as
a child and
encouraged by
a knowledgeable
teacher seeks
similarly to
engage and
inspire the next
generation.
Roy Eddleman.Photo by Douglas A. Lockard.
8
Exhibits and Collections■ CHF has developed six traveling exhibits that reach
thousands of people across the nation. The most recent was
Her Lab in Your Life, which describes the achievements of
women in chemistry, with the goal of inspiring more young
women to consider careers in the field. Currently under
development are two exhibits. Molecules That Matter is
being planned with Skidmore College’s Tang Teaching
Museum. It will combine molecular models, graphics,
and artifacts from CHF and elsewhere to
highlight the progress of organic chemistry
in the 20th century. It will focus on one
molecule representative of each decade—
from aspirin and nylon to DNA, DDT,
and Buckministerfullerene—and will explore
that molecule’s scientific and social impli-
cations. Under development with the
Philadelphia Museum of Art is an exhibit
based on CHF’s outstanding collections in
alchemical art; the exhibit will use the works
of art to explore the origins of modern chem-
istry and the worldview of the painters, their
subjects, and their audiences.
■ With progress in instrumentation criti-
cal to advances in chemistry, CHF has
long collected important scientific
instruments. To bring these instruments
to life, CHF is making video recordings
of the memories and experiences of those
who invented or used the instruments in
new ways. This project is urgent, as the
passage of time means that fewer of
these pioneering scientists remain
available to interview.
Fellowships■ Scholarly study has been at the core of
CHF’s mission and success from the
beginning. As CHF’s collections have
expanded, their value to scholars of the
history of science has increased. These
fellows publish academic and popular books and articles
that shape historical study and influence textbooks and
education. The Eddleman Institute plans to expand this
program to include scholarships ranging from one month to
an academic year in length, in fields including education,
policy, journalism, history, and curating and interpretation
at science institutions.
The Eddleman Institute will use CHF’s own outstanding
collections as the unifying base to integrate all of its out-
reach efforts. New staff, stronger exhibits both at CHF and
for travel, more partnerships with others, and an expanded
fellowship program—all these will tell the story of chemical
heritage more widely and vividly than ever before.
CHF has
developed
six traveling
exhibits
that reach
thousands of
people across
the nation.
Scholarly
study has
been at
the core of
CHF’s mission
and success
from the
beginning.
Leah O’Brien (left), professor in the Department of Chemistry at Southern Illinois University, and Ann Nalley, professor ofchemistry at Cameron University and 2005 ACS president-elect, admire CHF’s traveling exhibit, Her Lab in Your Life:Women in Chemistry, at Washington University.Photo by CHF staff.
Bill Nye and the Initiative c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
care of our extraordinary collections. Finally, the future of CHF’s
programs and operations will be ensured by an increase in
the endowment, providing a vital stream of support for visiting
fellowships, public access, and collection stewardship.
At the time of the announcement, CHF’s closest friends
had committed 40 percent of the goal during the “quiet
phase” of the effort. By 30 June 2005, the 25th Anniversary
Initiative had received additional gifts and pledges to bring
the total to $45 million. CHF’s board was the first group to
be solicited. The board goal is $5 million, and is largely
completed. Helping the board reach these heights is the
effort’s honorary chairman, John Haas, whose commitment
included a matching gift of $1 million to challenge his board
colleagues. With William Stavropoulos and his cochairs
taking the lead, the industry part of the campaign has
already raised over 40 percent of its $15 million goal, start-
ing with leadership gifts of $1.5
million each from Dow, BASF,
and Huntsman Corporation. On
the foundation front, we are
pleased to receive the continuing
support of the Beckman Foundation,
whose $2 million gift will be rec-
ognized by the new Beckman
exhibit of instrumentation. While
cash and other current gifts are
important to fund construction
and programmatic goals over the
next several years, deferred or
planned gifts are also playing an
important role in the campaign
and are especially appropriate for
the endowment.
9
The future
of CHF’s
programs and
operations
will be ensured
by an increase
in the
endowment,
providing a
vital stream of
support.
John Haas visits with Christopher Stanwood, access services librarian, in CHF’s rare book room, which houses a treasure trove of important works in the history of the chemical and molecular sciences.Photo by Douglas A. Lockard.
Michael Grayson, (opposite page) here with his wife, Margaret, and his son, Scott, hosted an event at the Artists’ Guild and Galleries in St. Louis, Missouri.All Photos by CHF Staff.
10
Honorary CommitteeJohn C. Haas, Chair
Herbert D. Doan
Irénée du Pont, Jr.
Roy T. Eddleman
Harry B. Gray
Kathryn C. Hach-Darrow
Gordon E. Moore
William S. Stavropoulos
Barbara Ullyot
P. Roy Vagelos
4.8 5.2
35.5
45.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Mon
ey R
aise
d (m
illio
ns)
CHF Board
Industry
Individual & Foundation
Total
Funding Category
22.5
25
14.4
25 25
8.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Fund
s (m
illio
ns)
Raised
Goal
Endowment Capital Programs
Funding Use
M O V I N G T O W A R D O U R G O A L
Treasure the past Educate the present Inspire the future&25th Anniversary InitiativeProgressevents
Stanley Procter, Helen and William Carpenter, and Gregory Wall at the Artists’ Guild in St. Louis.
James Zwolenikand ThomasGibian meet inWashington, D.C.
Top: Seymour Mauskopf, a former CHF Edelstein Fellow, shares his memories of chemistry in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Above: Priestley Medalist Ernie Eliel listens intently to CHF representatives report new and exciting activities at the foundation.All Photos by CHF Staff.
Event host Rudy Pariser welcomesguests to brunch at the Siena Hotel
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
11
Chemical Heritage Foundation315 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19106
Treasure t h e p a s tEducate t h e p r e s e n t
Inspire t h e f u t u r e
N O N P R O F I TO R G A N I Z AT I O NU . S . P O S TA G E
P A I DC I T Y, S TAT E Z I PP E R M I T N O . X X X
Transmutations INTHISISSUE
13411
Bill Nye Helps CHF Introduce the 25th Anniversary Initiative
William Stavropoulos of Dow
The Roy Eddleman Institute for Interpretation and Education
Campaign Progress & Events