N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E C H E M I C A L H E R I T A G E F O U N D A T I O N

CHF

CHF’s awards program recognizes superioraccomplishments in chemistry and relatedfields. The scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, and authors honored are inspiring figures.

No. 8 | Fall 2010

No. 8 | Fall 2010

Transmutations is a newsletter published three times per year for supporters of CHF.

Comments or questions about this issue?Please contactMargo Bresnen, Editormbresnen@chemheritage.org

For information on supporting CHF, please contactRick Sherman, Director of Advancementrsherman@chemheritage.org

Chemical Heritage FoundationLIBRARY • MUSEUM • CENTER FOR SCHOLARS

315 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19106-2702Phone: 215.925.2222Fax: 215.925.1954chemheritage.org

HOURS

The Museum at CHFMonday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.First Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical HistoryMonday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (by appointment; schedule at reference@chemheritage.org)

Go to chemheritage.org for

• Chemical Heritage, CHF’s magazine

• Distillations, our award-winning podcast

• Periodic Tabloid, the blog of CHF staff and scholars

• Classroom Resources

• Event Registration

And much more

Also check out CHF on YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter

DESIGN: Willie•Fetchko Graphic Design

COVER PHOTO: Conrad Erb

[ON THE COVER] George Whitesides, at left,

receives the Othmer Gold Medal and an accom-

panying plaque from CHF’s president and CEO,

Tom Tritton, center, and board chair, Steve Kob-

lik, during Heritage Day 2010.

Chemistry’s influence is pervasive. Medicine, energy, trans-

portation, communication, food, and water—all rely, to some extent, on the chemical

sciences. CHF’s core strength of chronicling chemistry’s heritage through the

centuries makes us uniquely able to foster informed perspectives about chemistry’s

role in the modern world. Our efforts are directed to an international audience, and

we aspire to engage and educate scientists and nonscientists alike.

This autumn CHF embarked on a very ambitious program year. As we continue

our distinctive work—building and preserving peerless collections, capturing first-

person recollections from chemistry’s most illustrious figures, connecting with chemi-

cal enterprises all over the world—we will also introduce exciting new initiatives that

apply history’s revelations to 21st-century issues.

Your tax-deductible gifts are being stretched like never before to fund projects

that include a new series of History Live events, featuring top scientists and journal-

ists; Elemental Matters, a stunning, original exhibit that showcases contemporary

artists and their creative interpretation of the elements; and Global Challenges/

Chemistry Solutions, a panel discussion among prominent leaders from industry

and academia that will launch the U.S. celebration of the International Year of

Chemistry.

(You can read more about CHF’s involvement in IYC 2011 on page 3. In addition,

numerous opportunities for participation are described at chemheritage.org/IYC2011.)

Your active engagement with CHF—via our events, our Web site, our publica-

tions—is highly valued. Your continued financial support is also greatly appreciated.

Everything we do is thanks to your generosity, and now is a terrific time to deepen

your affiliation with CHF. Please consider making a contribution today.

Denise Creedon

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

CHF’s awards program recognizessuperior accomplishments inchemistry and related fields.

The scientists, entrepreneurs, educators,and authors honored are inspiring fig-ures, and CHF is uniquely situated toview and assess their work in a histori-cal context.

This fall the Franklin-LavoisierPrize, CHF’s newest award, will be pre-sented in the United States for the firsttime. Established in 2008 by CHF andthe Fondation de la Maison de laChimie, the prize is given jointly everyother year at a ceremony that alternatesbetween Paris and Philadelphia.

cover story

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Recipients of the prize, named forAntoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Ben-jamin Franklin, have made unusuallymeritorious efforts in the preservationor promotion of the entwined scientificheritage of France and the UnitedStates. This year’s awardee is PhilippeWalter, director of the laboratory of theCentre de Recherche et de Restaurationdes Musées de France at the Centre Na-tional de la Recherche Scientifique(CNRS).

In collaboration with colleagues atthe CNRS and the Louvre, Walter ana-lyzed samples of ancient Egyptian eye-liner from the Louvre's collection and

concluded that the lead salts foundthere helped prevent infections com-mon to that era. Ultimately Walter’swork demonstrates that the Egyptianspioneered the art of synthetic wetchemistry up to 4,000 years ago.

For more information on CHF’sawards program, including affiliate-partnership awards and innovationawards for cutting-edge science re-search, visit chemheritage.org.

You can help us acknowledge chemistry’scontributions to culture. To support CHF’sawards program, please contact DeniseCreedon at 215.873.8266 or dcreedon@chemheritage.org.

CHF’s Awards Program

[CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT] Heritage Day 2010awards include the Richard J. Bolte, Sr., Awardfor Supporting Industries given to C. BerdonLawrence and the American Institute ofChemists Gold Medal given to Robert Grubbs.Mohamed Al-Mady receives the PetrochemicalHeritage Award in 2009. Andrew Liveris, atright, presents the 2009 Society of Chemical Industry Perkin Medal to Richard Silverman.

Marks of Distinction

The 2011 Othmer Gold Medal

will be awarded to Kazuo Inamori,

chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corpo-

ration, during CHF’s Heritage Day cel-

ebration in April. Inamori’s storied

entrepreneurial successes, prowess for

innovation, and philanthropic generos-

ity have made him a leading figure in

the worldwide industrial community.

The Othmer Gold Medal honors indi-

viduals who have made multifaceted

contributions to the field of chemistry.

Melanie Kiechle.

Kathryn “Kitty” Hach-Darrow and herfirst husband, Clifford Hach, foundedthe Hach Chemical Company in 1947.Within the firm, which revolutionizedthe water-analysis industry, Hach-Dar-row oversaw the operations, marketing,and managerial aspects of the businessuntil its sale in 1999. During an oral his-tory conducted between 2002 and 2004,she recounted early harbingers of thecouple’s success:

“I was at Iowa State University fortwo or so years when I met Clifford [in 1941]. I attended church-group meet-ings for college students in Ames, andClifford attended those same meetings.One time the group had a party for allthe college kids, and the entertainmentwas one Clifford Hach with science ex-periments. He had a whole series ofthings he did with dry ice. I rememberhis clock reaction; he told us what timethis cloudy precipitate would go per-fectly clear—everybody was watching—and bingo! It did! Man, was I impressedwith this guy!

It was at a church baseball gamethat I said something about my birthday

being tomorrow, and Clifford replied,‘Gee, mine is too,’ though he was threeyears older. He had flowers delivered tome the very next day. I realized thenthat it was the beginning of a nice rela-tionship.

On one date with Clifford, he cameup to the door and had a nice little pack-age all wrapped up for me. I thought,‘It’s a box of candy.’ He gave me thepackage, I opened it up, and it was abook for me to read: Without Fame: TheRomance of a Profession, by Otto Eisen-schiml. Clifford said, ‘I want you to readthis because we’re going to build achemical company.’ Clifford’s ambitionwas already very clear, even back inthose days. Eisenschiml refers to his wifea great deal in the book, because she wasmuch more than just a wife. She was hisbusiness partner….

We were married in Ames [in 1943].I took my last exam in economics on the morning of June 4, got a B on it,and we were married that afternoon at four o’clock … We started our chemi-cal company with a bunch of graduate students helping to construct a three-

room, cement-block building. Some-body somewhere said that [the com-pany] started in a garage. That reallyisn’t true. For $540 Clifford bought oneacre of land in a flood plain on thesouth side of Ames. We built the build-ing, and that was the beginning of HachChemical Company in 1947.”

To support CHF’s oral history program,please contact Rick Sherman at 215.873.8254or rsherman@chemheritage.org.

Early Ambition

Kathryn Hach-Darrow poses for a familyportrait with husband Clifford and theirchildren, from left to right, Paul, Mary, andBruce, in 1958. Photo courtesy Hach Sci-entific Foundation.

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Fellow in Focus

The start of the academic year brings a new slate of fellows to CHF’s Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry. Among them is Melanie Kiechle, a Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University and recipient of a John C. Haas Dissertation Fellowship.

Kiechle’s dissertation, “‘The Air We Breathe’: Nineteenth-Century Americans and the Search forFresh Air,” is a cultural history of beliefs about fresh air and foul odors and the effect they had on human life and urban development between 1840 and 1900. Her main interest lies in exploring howpeople used their sense of smell to evaluate their environment.

Because many 19th-century Americans believed that bad odors could cause illness, they feared thestenches released by factories and demanded that the government purge the air. During her time atCHF Kiechle will investigate the major role played by chemists in early attempts to deodorize Ameri-can cities. She also aims to discover the strategies chemists used to turn public attention into an opportunity to disseminate scientific knowledge and advance their field.

“When I started my research, I had no idea that chemistry would prove a major part of this project,” Kiechle admits. “But many of the historical actors responsible for controlling stenches werechemists, so I needed to learn more about the history of chemistry and chemists’ involvement withcity governments and the public-health movement. The Haas Fellowship gives me the resources to pullthese pieces together, and the wonderful community of scholars at CHF will strengthen my disser-tation.”

Kiechle recently presented a talk at CHF entitled “The Smell Detectives: Chemists and the PublicNose in the Industrializing City.” If you are interested in supporting CHF’s fellows, please contact Richard Ulrych at 215.873.8286 orrulrych@chemheritage.org.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Oral History Spotlight

The International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011) is a world-wide celebration of chemistry and its contributions to thewell-being of humankind. This initiative, designated by theUnited Nations, aims to engage the public in a year’s worth of interactive, entertaining, and educational activities andthereby achieve four goals:

• Increase public appreciation of chemistry in meetingworld needs;

• Encourage interest in chemistry among young people;• Generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry;

and• Celebrate the role of women in chemistry.

On February 1 CHF will host the U.S. launch of IYC 2011in collaboration with the American Chemistry Council, theAmerican Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chem-ical Engineers, and the U.S. National Committee for the In-ternational Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Prominentleaders from industry and academia will gather that day atCHF to participate in Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions,a panel discussion on the pressing issues of energy, water,food, and human health.

Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energyand Professor of Chemisty at the Massachusetts Institute of

A Global Effort: The International Year of Chemistry

Technology, will moderate the discussion, which will featureAndrew Liveris of The Dow Chemical Company, Ellen Kull-man of DuPont, and Janet Hering of the Swiss Federal Instituteof Aquatic Science and Technology, among other top names.

CHF will follow the launch of IYC 2011 with several kick-off events, including a presentation on Civil War–era chem-istry and medicine on February 2. On February 4 a new exhibitwill open in the Clifford C. Hach Gallery: Elemental Matters:Artists Imagine Chemistry will feature seven contemporaryartists whose work responds to the seminal building blocks ofall matter.

One of CHF’s major IYC 2011 programs is already underway. It’s Elemental is a national competition that invites high-school students to create and submit videos inspired by a single element for an interactive periodic table. Winning en-tries will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges. Prizeswill be presented during Heritage Day 2011. Vote for your fa-vorite video at chemheritage.org/ElementalVideos.

IYC 2011 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate chemistry.For more information about CHF’s IYC 2011 programs and eventsthroughout the year, log on to chemheritage.org/IYC2011.To sup-port our efforts, please contact Denise Creedon at 215.873.8266 ordcreedon@chemheritage.org.

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The artworks in Elemental Matters use elements as symbol,material, or energy to transform ordinary associations aboutchemistry into something surprising and genuinely evocative.[LEFT] Helium, by Jennifer Schmitt. [BELOW] Tungsten, by VizaArlington.

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, husband,and father, Ting Tsung “T. T.” Chao wasa modest man with remarkable abilitiesand insights. Born in 1921 in Suzhou,China, he moved with his family to Taiwan in 1946. Chao soon became involved in Taiwan’s budding petro-chemical industry, and in 1954 he cofounded the country’s first polyvinylchloride (PVC) business under the aus-pices of the U.S. Agency for Interna-tional Development.

Ten years later Chao launched theChina General Plastics Group, which

came to include some of the largestpetrochemical and plastics manufactur-ers in Asia. Continuously expanding thegeographic reach of his activities, Chaospent decades establishing plants in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, thePhilippines, and eventually China.Many of the polymers he manufactured,including PVC, polystyrene, acryloni-trile butadiene styrene copolymers,polypropylene, nylon, polyester, pheno-lics, and epoxies were the first producedin these countries. Chao also introducedinnovations in downstream plasticproducts and finished goods, such asplastic films and sheets, molded prod-ucts, luggage, and toys.

Chao entered the North Americanmarket in 1986 with what is today West-lake Chemical Corporation, a NYSE-listed company engaged in the olefinsand vinyls businesses. At the same timehe created the Titan Group in Malaysiaby building the country’s first andlargest integrated petrochemical com-plex.

Chao’s many achievements did notgo unnoticed. In recognition of his con-tributions to Malaysia’s industrial devel-opment and economic growth, he wasconferred the title of Datuk by the king

of Malaysia. In 2005 Chao received thePetrochemical Heritage Award fromCHF, The Founders Club, and the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association.

When Chao passed away in 2008he was survived by his wife, Wei Fong,and three children. Throughout his lifeChao had generously supported health-care, educational, social, and cultural or-ganizations, setting a standard that hisfamily maintains. Albert Chao, JamesChao, and Dorothy Jenkins have fol-lowed in their father’s footsteps, not justin their involvement in his companies,but also in their philanthropic activities.

Significant support from the TingTsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundationmade it possible for CHF to establish theHouston-based T. T. Chao Symposiumon Innovation. The annual event con-venes leaders to think constructivelyabout how Houston’s industrial and en-trepreneurial heritage can address soci-ety’s needs in the 21st century andhonors Chao’s legacy as a pioneer whoalways looked toward the future.

Richard Ulrych, Manager of Project Development

donorprofileT. T. Chao

Synthesizing Support

CHF can transmute your interest—and generosity—into action. We turn your charitable

contributions into dynamic conferences, panel discussions, and lectures; the means to

acquire and preserve world-class collections; fellowships and travel grants that encour-

age academic research; ambitious programs of outreach, education, and interpreta-

tion; and much more.

Help us continue to convert ideas into events and initiatives that tell the story

of chemistry. Support CHF with a tax-deductible gift today! You may use the

enclosed envelope, donate online at chemheritage.org, or contact Rick Sherman at

215.873.8254 or rsherman@chemheritage.org.

Thank you.

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T R A N S M U T E Y O U R I N T E R E S T

T. T. Chao.

transmutations

\

n. Acts of change or

alteration to appearance

or nature, especially to a

higher form.

Generating Reactions

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Join us

2010 Ullyot Public Affairs Lecture

“A Tale for Our Times: Something for Everyone About ClimateChange and the Reasons for Climate Gridlock”

Susan SolomonSenior Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Thursday, November 18

Ullyot Lecture Hall, CHFLecture 6:00 p.m.

Reception 7:00 p.m.

Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information visit chemheritage.org/Ullyot.

History Live: A Conversation with Joseph M. DeSimone

Joseph M. DeSimone, Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina and cofounder of BioabsorbableVascular Solutions, will discuss his storied career with CHF presidentand CEO Tom Tritton.

Monday, November 22

North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Research Triangle ParkReception 5:30 p.m.

History Live 6:30 p.m.

Dessert and coffee 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information visit chemheritage.org/HistoryLive.

recentevents[1] In July CHF’s president and CEO, Tom Tritton, far right, hosteda meeting of the Founders Committee, which gathers representa-tives of the two affiliate organizations that established CHF morethan 25 years ago. From left to right: Flint Lewis, secretary and gen-eral counsel of the American Chemical Society (ACS); MadeleineJacobs, ACS’s executive director and CEO; and June Wispelway,executive director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

[2] Speakers from all over the world came to CHF for the 2010 Gor-don Cain Conference. Back row, from left to right: David Jones,Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jörg Niewöhner, HumboldtUniversity, Berlin; and Toine Pieters, Utrecht Institute for Pharma-ceutical Sciences. Middle row, from left to right: Hiroshi Yamanaka,Osaka University; Alberto Cambrosio, McGill University; RichardTutton, Lancaster University; Bruno Strasser, Yale University; andPeter Keating, University of Québec. Front row, from left to right:Barbara Prainsack, King’s College London; Michelle McGowan,Case Western Reserve University; Sabina Leonelli, University of Ex-eter; Ramya Rajagopalan, University of Wisconsin-Madison; SheilaJasanoff, Harvard University; Jenny Reardon, University of Califor-nia, Santa Cruz; Paul Martin, University of Nottingham; and NinaKohli-Laven, McGill University.

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Dynamic Engagement

This summer CHF launched a redesigned Web site. The new

chemheritage.org better showcases our peerless collections,

provides greater access to educational resources, and makes

donating online even easier. It also includes a great way to

tell CHF about yourself. Log on to chemheritage.org/survey

today and share your interests with us. It takes just moments!

[1]

[2]

Visit chemheritage.org

for further information and

registration details.

Follow CHF on

Chemical Heritage FoundationLIBRARY • MUSEUM • CENTER FOR SCHOLARS

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Detail of IBM Electronic Data Processing Machines Type701 and Associated Equipment Instruction Manual, Interna-tional Business Machines Applied Sciences Department,New York, 1952. Gift of Rudolph Pariser, CHF Collections.

The Chemical Heritage Foundation

(CHF) fosters an understanding of

chemistry’s impact on society. An

independent nonprofit organization,

we strive to

• Inspire a passion for chemistry;

• Highlight chemistry’s role in

meeting current social

challenges; and

• Preserve the story of chemistry

and its technologies and

industries across centuries.

CHF maintains major collections of

instruments, fine art, photographs,

papers, and books. We host confer-

ences and lectures, support research,

offer fellowships, and produce

educational materials. Our museum

and public programs explore

subjects ranging from alchemy to

nanotechnology.

EventsFirst Friday at CHFOctober 1

T. T. Chao Symposium on InnovationRice University, HoustonOctober 11

The Secret Cinema at CHFOctober 13

Joseph Priestley Society LuncheonSpeaker: John J. Baldwin, Hua MedicineOctober 14

Franklin-Lavoisier Prize CeremonyOctober 14

Fall Governance MeetingsOctober 14–15

First Friday at CHFNovember 5

The Secret Cinema at CHFNovember 10

Joseph Priestley Society LuncheonSpeaker: Ryan Dirkx, Arkema, Inc.November 11

Ullyot Public Affairs LectureSpeaker: Susan SolomonNovember 18

History Live: Joseph M. DeSimoneNorth Carolina Biotechnology Center,Research Triangle ParkNovember 22

First Friday at CHFDecember 3

ExhibitsMarvels and Ciphers: A Look Inside the FlaskCloses December 10Making ModernityOngoing

Transmutations: Alchemy in ArtOngoing

The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art: Images of AlchemyOngoing