The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science . Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , it includes a library , museum , archive , research center and conference center .
65-588: The Othmer Gold Medal recognizes outstanding individuals who contributed to progress in chemistry and science through their activities in areas including innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, and philanthropy. The medal is presented annually under the sponsorship of the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) and four affiliated organizations:
130-566: A c. 1980 's Automated Peptide Synthesizer created by Bruce Merrifield . The foundation expanded its instrument collections slowly, mostly through donations of single instruments or small groups of instruments. In 2000, the CIMG was transformed into the Heritage Council Instruments and Artifacts Committee (HCIAC), which included staff and supporters and began meeting under founding chair W. Richard Howe. In 2002,
195-650: A 25% decrease in Thackray's teaching load, without a reduction in salary. Thus was born the Center for the History of Chemistry (CHOC), initially housed in a scattering of offices across the Penn campus. CHOC's stated objective was "to discover and disseminate information about historical resources, and to encourage research, scholarship, and popular writing in the history of the chemical sciences and industries." Late in 1983,
260-885: A Petrochemical Industry in Saudi Arabia: the Life of Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Zamil (2017), and Fred Kavli: The Man and His Legacy (2019 , Kavlico and the Kavli Prizes). Thackray was the 1983 recipient of the Dexter Award of the American Chemical Society for his work on the history of chemistry . In 1984, Thackray received the George Sarton Memorial Lecturer Award at the American Association for
325-421: A cadre of thirty fresh graduate students from multiple countries seeking to pursue many, varied academic fields. Under the direction of Mary Hesse , a leader in the field of philosophy of science , he earned his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in 1966. In 1965, Thackray had already become the first graduate student at Churchill College to be elected a Fellow of the college. Enjoying this new role, he pioneered
390-566: A co-founder of the center, signing an agreement on August 27 and 28, 1984. In addition, the institution began to establish relationships with affiliated organizations such as The Chemists' Club , the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists , the Electrochemical Society and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry . As early as 1983,
455-718: A fresh challenge arose as eighty-three year old New York chemical engineer, Donald Othmer , made a rival pledge of $ 5 million, to be matched 1:1 within six months, to create an Othmer Library of Chemical History. In 1992, ‘’’both’’’ the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry (BCHOC) and the Othmer Library of Chemical History (OLOCH) became components in what was renamed the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF). Faced by these rapidly multiplying realities, Professor Thackray sought to move CHF to
520-401: A growing public outreach and strong industry enthusiasm. The Life Sciences Foundation merged with the Chemical Heritage Foundation in 2015. In 2018 the combined organization was renamed the Science History Institute , to reflect its wider range of historical interests, from chemical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and biotechnology. In 2018 the combined organization was renamed
585-528: A home of its own somewhere in the greater Philadelphia (Wilmington, DE to Princeton, NJ) area. The answer was found in a location rich in scientific history. The structure that had been built in 1865 as the First National Bank , which stood in the backyard of Benjamin Franklin 's home, within what by the 1980s had become Philadelphia's Independence National Park. The 1993 purchase of the property
650-694: A national center for historical chemistry. In 1979, the ACS formed a task force chaired by Ned D. Heindel to look at creating a national center for the history of chemistry. Arnold Thackray , a professor in the Department of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and curator of the Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection on the history of chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, argued for
715-726: A number of annual awards to recognize outstanding contributions to science and technology by researchers, business leaders and entrepreneurs. The annual Heritage Day Awards honor achievements in science and technology and comprise the Othmer Gold Medal , the Richard J. Bolte Sr. Award for Supporting Industries and, in conjunction with The Chemists' Club of New York, the Winthrop-Sears Medal . The annual Affiliate Partnership Awards, presented in conjunction with affiliate organizations, recognize achievement with
SECTION 10
#1732794481296780-591: A one-year visiting lectureship at Harvard University, fully intending to return to the original Cambridge. Enjoying the competitive nature of American academe, he then chose to join the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. When invited him to its regular faculty, Thackray chose instead to establish a novel Department of the History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania (the first university department to concentrate on modern science, technology, and medicine in their social context.) He joined
845-560: A permanent building finally made it possible for the institution to develop "a public museum and display area". One possible focus was the history of instrumentation. As early as 1989, the Beckman Center had requested the loan or gift of Beckman Instruments such as the Beckman pH meter and the DU spectrophotometer for display at the center. Some of those instruments were included in an instrumentation exhibition organized by W. Richard Howe of
910-452: A poorly understood history. The time had come to document the heritage of biotechnology before it was lost. The Life Sciences Foundation was formed in 2011 to capture the stories of the industry’s founders, while increasing awareness of the field’s significance through oral histories, public events, and a variety of publications, including a free magazine. An immediate success, within five years LSF had achieved substantial financial reserves,
975-542: A recommendation to the American Chemical Society that it create a center for the history of chemistry. In 1981, the American Chemical Society solicited proposals to develop such a center from interested parties. Thackray suggested that the center be at the University of Pennsylvania. To that end, he enlisted the help of Penn chemist Charles C. Price , who introduced Thackray to chemical industry executive and philanthropist John C. Haas . Haas elicited
1040-700: Is an emeritus professor at the University of Pennsylvania . Initially an English chemist, he moved to the United States, where he founded or extended a series of institutions, initially in Philadelphia (Penn’s Department of History and Sociology of Science, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation —later the Science History Institute ), then on a wider scale with the History of Science Society (HSS), Science History Consultants, and
1105-411: Is organized around thematic arcs illustrative of the history of science, particularly chemistry. Displays include the influence of alchemy in early chemistry, the development of the first plastics, the development of brilliantly colored synthetic dyes, scientific advocacy for public health in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the teaching of chemistry through books and chemistry sets. On December 1, 2015,
1170-422: Is particularly interested in the origins of early science and chemistry. Its varied holdings have considerable depth both in alchemical books and fine-art depictions of early modern alchemists. The institution's collection of alchemy-related artwork, one of the largest in the world, builds upon two significant collections. Chester Garfield Fisher, founder of Fisher Scientific , started collecting alchemical art in
1235-774: The Biotechnology Heritage Award , the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize, the Petrochemical Heritage Award and the Pittcon Heritage Award . The Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography recognizes a biographical work in the field of chemical or molecular science. Established in 2006, the prize is awarded biennially. Arnold Thackray Arnold Thackray (born 30 July 1939)
1300-702: The American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), The Chemists' Club , and the American section of the Société de Chimie Industrielle , at the Science History Institute 's Heritage Day. The Othmer Medal commemorates chemist Donald Othmer (1904–1995), a researcher, engineer, inventor, philanthropist, professor, and co-editor of the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology . Each year,
1365-502: The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) became a co-sponsor. In 1987 CHOC was promised its first endowment . by eighty-seven year old Californian entrepreneur and chemist Arnold Beckman , in the form of a US $ 2 million gift, subject to matching 1:1 within 12 months. To hold this money ACS and AIChE incorporated a new non-profit, the National Foundation for the History of Chemistry. Then, almost immediately,
SECTION 20
#17327944812961430-800: The London School of Economics (1971-1972), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1978), in addition to the Institute for Advanced Study , Princeton, NJ (1980), and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences , Palo Alto, CA (1974 and 1984). He also served as an Executive Committee member and Treasurer of the American Council of Learned Societies (1985-1995). He was one of the four co-founders of, and
1495-546: The Science History Institute , to reflect its wider range of historical interests, from chemical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and biotechnology. As early as 1986, through his meetings with industry leaders, Dr. Thackray had perceived the need for focused, confidential studies telling the stories of particular individuals and industrial companies. Thus was born Science History Consultants (SHC). Building on an extensive knowledge of modern American technoscience, and its leaders and key events, Dr. Thackray has focused
1560-682: The University of Pennsylvania campus. Its "immediate aims" included gathering oral histories of important chemists and inventorying papers and manuscripts in repositories throughout the country to map "the largely unexplored territory of the history of chemistry and chemical technology." A National Advisory Board was also formed from a wide-ranging group of people in academia and industry. In 1982, its members included John C. Haas, historians Margaret W. Rossiter and Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. and at least three Nobel Prize winners, Christian B. Anfinsen , Herbert C. Brown , and Glenn T. Seaborg . The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) became
1625-425: The history of technology , trends in research and development , the impact of science on society , and relationships between science and art. It supports a community of research scholars and an oral history program. As of 2012, it was the largest U.S. grantor of research fellowships for the history of science. The idea of creating "a library of reference and a chemical museum" in the United States can be found in
1690-423: The 1920s. In 2000, his collection of alchemical paintings was donated by Fisher Scientific International to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. In 2002, the institution received another gift from Roy Eddleman, founder of Spectrum Laboratories, whose collection contained paintings from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Together, the two collections contain more than 90 paintings and 200 works on paper illustrating
1755-689: The 1982-83 President of, the Society for Social Studies of Science . He also participated on many review committees and advisory boards, such as those of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Science Foundation . In his years at Penn, Arnold Thackray additionally served as curator of The Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection in the History of Chemistry. A 1979-1980 task force led by historian John H. Wotiz resulted in
1820-557: The 28 years of his active leadership of a growing organization, and from a standing start, he raised a permanent endowment of $ 130 million, while investing almost $ 50 million to create CHF’s home. After stepping down as president of CHF, Thackray relocated to Silicon Valley . There he founded the Life Sciences Foundation . The foundation was conceived at a 2009 meeting with four biotechnology industry leaders. The group reasoned that biotech, by then 40 years old, had
1885-570: The ACS, the AIChE, The Chemists' Club , and the Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section) . A growing series of other medals and prizes followed, in partnership with relevant organizations in the USA and abroad, to honor pioneers in fields ranging from materials science to biotechnology. Thackray served as president of CHF until 2009, after which time he served a seven-year term as Chancellor. Over
1950-803: The Advancement of Science with a presentation entitled "The Historian's Calling in the Age of Science". He was twice awarded fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1971 and 1985). Thackray is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry Sigma XI, and
2015-591: The American Chemical Society, which sponsored a symposium in his honor in 2009. Thackray became a citizen of the United States in 1981. He first married Barbara (née Hughes) Thackray, a physicist who became a teacher at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr , Pennsylvania . Their three children were Helen Thackray, a biotechnology executive, Gillian, an intellectual property lawyer, and Timothy, who
Othmer Gold Medal - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-624: The Center for the History of Chemistry expressed an interest in "The Conservation of Historic American Chemical Instruments", in discussions of a possible joint project with the Smithsonian . However, the center did not yet have exhibition or collections space to allow for the acquisition of any but the most limited quantities of documents. The center did curate a number of traveling exhibitions by collaborating with other organizations, including "Joseph Priestley: Enlightened Chemist", "Polymers and People", "Scaling Up", and "Chemical Education in
2145-439: The Center for the History of Chemistry was signed by officers of the American Chemical Society and the University of Pennsylvania on January 22 and 26, 1982. A policy council was appointed by the sponsoring institutions to oversee routine operations of the center, and Arnold Thackray was appointed part-time director of the center on April 29, 1982. The center was inaugurated on March 11, 1983, in several vacant basement rooms on
2210-425: The Chemical Heritage Foundation merged with the Life Sciences Foundation , also founded by Arnold Thackray. Recognizing that the joint organization's interests extended beyond the field of chemistry, the organization began a two-year renaming process, whose outcome required the agreement of its founding partners, the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers . On February 1, 2018,
2275-578: The Clifford C. Hach Gallery for rotating exhibitions opened in 2008. The Arnold O. Beckman permanent exhibition, Making Modernity , was designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates . It has been described as an "art gallery for science", and showcases objects from the institution's widely varying collections. "The instruments are only a fraction of the objects on display. The exhibition also includes books, documents, and artwork from CHF's collection, as well as an array of consumer products." The exhibition
2340-468: The History of Chemistry ( CHOC ). The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) became a co-founder in 1984. It was renamed the Chemical Heritage Foundation ( CHF ) in 1992, and moved two years later to the institution's current location, 315 Chestnut Street in Old City . On December 1, 2015, CHF merged with the Life Sciences Foundation , creating an organization that covers "the history of
2405-834: The Life Sciences Foundation. Thackray was born in Manchester England on 30 July 1939, five weeks before WW II began. At age 10 he became a Foundation Scholar at the Manchester Grammar School , itself the locus of the novel concept of meritocracy under the leadership of Eric James, Baron James of Rusholme . In 1960, he completed a Bachelor of Science (1st Class Honors) degree in chemistry at Bristol University . He then began an industrial career in Yorkshire, before retreating into grammar-school teaching while also stumbling into
2470-478: The Proceedings of the first meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 1876. The idea of a Science History Institute dates to 1976, when the nation's bicentennial and the ACS' centennial stimulated interest in history and chemistry. As part of the ACS centennial activities, John H. Wotiz of its history-of-chemistry division organized a session on the history of chemistry; he was a strong proponent of
2535-679: The United States". During the 1980s, the center came to the attention of Arnold Orville Beckman . The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation provided a $ 2 million challenge grant in 1986 to stimulate expansion of the center as a research institute, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry (BCHOC). Beckman challenged the center to define its mission more broadly, reaching out to academic, professional and trade organizations, and including biochemistry, materials science, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and instrumentation within its mandate. The National Foundation for History of Chemistry
2600-463: The University of Pennsylvania campus, as of March 9, 1988. In 1989, the center received a further challenge grant, this time from Donald F. Othmer and his wife, Mildred Topp Othmer. Donald Othmer was a quiet chemical engineering professor from Polytechnic University in Brooklyn. The Othmers donated $ 5 million towards the creation of the Othmer Library of Chemical History. Again, efforts to match
2665-489: The University of Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (PITTCON) in 1994, and expanded in 1999. In the early 1990s, inspired by John Ferraro, a committee was formed within the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS), to pursue the creation of an instrumentation museum. Edward Brame and other members of that committee connected with Arnold Thackray and formed
Othmer Gold Medal - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-536: The World" was identified as a basis for further expansion. In 2008, the institution released a list of its ten most wanted instruments. As early as 1996, the Chemical Heritage Foundation had envisioned a broadly-based museum of chemical progress in which instruments would have "a major, but not exclusive role". That vision was followed when Peter Saylor of Dagit•Saylor Architects created the public museum and conference space. The Arnold O. Beckman Permanent Exhibit and
2795-537: The effort to secure the papers of leading British scientists including Sir James Chadwick, for what in 1973 would become the Churchill College Archive. In the 1960s the United States was locus of and the leader in science, as well as the leader in the fledging field of science history. It is not surprising then that, PhD in hand, Thackray decided to seek his BTA—his 'been to America' degree. In September 1967 he intermitted his Fellowship to accept
2860-477: The faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1968. As chairman of the brand-new HSS Department, Thackray drew on faculty members from such disciplinary areas of the university as history, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, English, and American civilization. His aim was to create the first university department to concentrate on ‘’modern science’’, technology, and medicine in their social context. Rather than embracing
2925-545: The formation of such a center in Philadelphia. Thackray obtained promises of private support from chemist John C. Haas and institutional support from the Dow Chemical Company and DuPont . In December 1981, the ACS approved the establishment of the Center for the History of Chemistry, with support of $ 50,000 per year for five years, in cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania, which was to provide an equivalent in goods and services. An agreement to create
2990-424: The grant were supported by the National Foundation for History of Chemistry and the American Chemical Society's Campaign for Chemistry. The new library was further supported by the donation of 8,500 monographs, textbooks and reference works from The Chemists' Club of New York. On July 1, 1992, the National Foundation for History of Chemistry changed its name to the Chemical Heritage Foundation, in recognition of
3055-478: The history of science for a popular readership. Distillations first appeared in spring 2015, as a publication of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. It was predated by the Chemical Heritage Magazine , published as a quarterly by the Chemical Heritage Foundation. The Science History Institute offers many fellowships-in-residence, of varying lengths. The Science History Institute presents
3120-493: The history of science museum opened to the public in its present location, and the fellowship program expanded. Following a global search, Carsten Reinhardt , a professor of the history of science from Bielefeld University , Germany, was chosen in August 2013 as president and CEO of the organization. In 2016, Reinhardt returned to Germany, and his place was taken by interim president Robert G. W. Anderson . On January 11, 2017, it
3185-402: The institution was given hundreds of instruments by Stephen P. DeFalco, president of PerkinElmer , after the company closed a plant in Überlingen, Germany. An interim exhibition of Revolutionary Tools was curated at the Chemical Heritage Foundation by David Brock, showing fifteen 20th-century instruments, including Arnold Beckman's pH meter. In 2004, a list of "50 Instruments That Changed
3250-443: The interest of other influential figures in the chemical industry, especially DuPont Co. CEO Edward G. Jefferson and Dow Chemical Company CEO Paul Oreffice. By January 1982, ACS's positive response to Thackray's proposal had translated into $ 150,000 in funding, to be distributed over three years. The University of Pennsylvania agreed to a matching $ 150,000, composed in large measure of forgiven graduate-student tuition fees, plus
3315-455: The international nature of chemical history. By 1994, the organization was searching for a permanent home for the Beckman Center and Othmer Library. One candidate was the First National Bank building at 315 Chestnut Street, an 1866 masonry-and-brick structure with a two-story Palazzo facade. The institution bought the bank building and nearby property in 1995, in part with a matching grant from Donald Othmer. Soon afterward, its endowment
SECTION 50
#17327944812963380-588: The last stages of his career to help key entrepreneurs tell their stories. Books that he has encouraged range from Journey: 75 Years of Kodak Research (1986) and Out of Thin Air: A History of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., 1940–1990 (1990) to varied studies of key individuals, as in George and Edith Rosenkranz : a memoir of their lives and times (2011, Syntex and the Birth Control Pill), Building
3445-483: The life sciences and biotechnology together with the history of the chemical sciences and engineering." As of February 1, 2018, the organization was renamed the Science History Institute, to reflect its wider range of historical interests, from chemical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and biotechnology. The institute focuses on the history of chemistry , the history of science ,
3510-444: The nucleus of the institution's Chemical Instrumentation Museum Group (CIMG) in 1994. In 1997, on the recommendation of the CIMG, the Chemical Heritage Foundation's board approved a collections policy for the acquisition of "historically significant chemical instruments and apparatus". Instrumentation, however, was only one of several areas of interest as the institution began to expand its collections. The Science History Institute
3575-432: The organization was renamed the Science History Institute, to reflect its wider range of historical interests, extending from the chemical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and biotechnology. Arnold Thackray , the institution's first president, was awarded the 1983 Dexter Award for his contributions to the history of chemistry. Thackray was succeeded by Thomas R. Tritton , under whose leadership (2008–2013)
3640-457: The prevailing orthodoxy of a focus on science as theoria , a search for the truth, and on a supposed "seventeenth century scientific revolution," Penn would focus on science, technology, and medicine over the 250 years of the more immediate past, with one obvious theme being American contributions. Thackray was a member of the Penn faculty for 28 years, retiring in 1996 as Joseph Priestley Professor emeritus. His academic research has focused on
3705-403: The recipient of the award designates an institution to receive a copy of the 26 volume Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The award is given yearly and was first presented in 1997. Science History Institute It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture of the American Chemical Society and the University of Pennsylvania , as the Center for
3770-622: The rise of modern science since the death of Isaac Newton , and on the interactions between the scientific community and society as a whole. He has mentored twenty PhD students and authored or edited a wide variety of scholarly books and articles. Additionally, he has been a member of the History of Science Society Executive Committee and editor of Isis and the HSS Newsletter (1978-1985), while also relaunching and editing Osiris (1984-1994). Additionally, Thackray has held visiting professorships at Bryn Mawr College (1968 through 1973),
3835-415: The small coterie of individuals around Jerome Ravetz at Leeds University . Ravetz, a native of Philadelphia, was himself exploring the new, inchoate discipline of history of science. He encouraged Thackray to apply to the fledging doctoral program in history of science at Cambridge University . In October 1963 Thackray duly entered recently established Churchill College, Cambridge University , within
3900-467: The work of alchemists and their influence on the development of chemistry as a science. The Chemical Heritage Foundation's collections include such pioneering and landmark instruments as a 1934 Beckman Model G pH Meter, a DuPont 900 Differential Thermal Analyzer, an early custom Electro-spray Ionization Mass Spectrometer used by John B. Fenn , a 1947 Mettler B5 Single-Pan Balance, a 1963 Perkin-Elmer Model 125 Infrared Grating Spectrophotometer, and
3965-553: Was announced that Anderson would take the job permanently. As of May 20, 2020, David Allen Cole, previously executive director of the Hagley Museum and Library , became president and CEO. The Science History Institute holds many collections relevant to the history of chemistry. The Science History Institute's magazine, Distillations , appeared in print three times a year until 2019, when content became digital-only. As an online resource, it continues to present stories about
SECTION 60
#17327944812964030-423: Was complete in 2008. Under Thackray's leadership, CHF steadily expanded its scope, its sponsoring organizations, its repertoire of visiting academic scholars, and its activities around the country and overseas. An annual Othmer Gold Medal was inaugurated in 1997, to honor individuals contributing to science through innovation, entrepreneurship, research, legislation, and philanthropy. The Award’s four sponsors were
4095-425: Was established in 1987 as a supporting Pennsylvania nonprofit. The renamed Beckman Center began a major capital campaign, listing as its needs "offices, an exhibit gallery, a reading room, library stacks, and archives and storage areas." It celebrated its inauguration on November 5, 1987. With support from the American Chemical Society's "Campaign for Chemistry", the center was able to move to 3401 Walnut Street, on
4160-492: Was expanded by a bequest from Othmer's estate. The Chemical Heritage Foundation moved to 315 Chestnut Street on February 1, 1996. The buildings were renovated by Richard Conway Meyer over the next few years. Phase 1, providing temporary office space and book storage, was completed in 1998. Phase 2, a move to more permanent facilities, was completed in 2000. Phase 3, construction of the adjoining Ullyot conference space for meetings and events, began soon after. Acquisition of
4225-498: Was rapid. However, its build-out into a modern 120,000 sq. ft. facility took over a decade of planning and fundraising. The repurposed complex eventually included offices, archives, and space for the Othmer Library (itself steadily growing in size and stature as an internationally-acclaimed resource). Also deemed essential was a capacious public museum designed by Ralph Appelbaum to appeal to those curious about science and its changing social and historical contexts. The overall project
#295704