[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 154 (Thursday, November 8, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2040-E2041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 8, 2001

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, ``Some 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher 
Aristotle postulated that all matter is comprised of four basic 
elements: earth, water, air, and fire. The idea dominated science until 
the late 18th century, when revolutionaries from rival nations 
transformed chemistry from a jumble of medieval alchemy into a true 
science.''
  This quotation, from the American Chemical Society's Frontiers of 
Knowledge, provides us with a perspective on chemistry's birth and its 
role as a cornerstone of modern science. I rise today to congratulate 
the American Chemical Society on the 125th anniversary of their 
establishment. The ACS has been both a symbol and active advocate for 
basic and applied research and the promotion of the benefits of a 
healthy and active chemical industry.
  The interaction between science, government, and the vitality of our 
nation are closely linked. Developments in chemistry are reflected in 
policy and public priorities throughout the world. This was probably 
far from the thoughts of the founders when they first met in New York 
on April 6, 1876 to organize the Society. As late as 1901, one of ACS' 
past presidents predicted a membership of nearly 10,000 chemists on 
their 100-year anniversary in 1976. In fact, membership in ACS reached 
10,603 in 1917 and is over 163,000 today. To put ACS' inaugural year in 
perspective, this same year saw the issuance of a U.S. patent on the 
telephone to Alexander Graham Bell, the defeat of General Custer at 
Little Big Horn, and the formation of the National League of 
Professional Baseball Clubs.
  The need for a national organization to support chemists was 
reflected in an overwhelming number of early requests to form first a 
local New York City society and then a national society. The first 
regularly-scheduled meeting of the ACS took place on May 4, 1876. 
Annual dues were $5. ACS was still a New York corporation in 1937 when 
it reincorporated under an act of Congress, signed into law by 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Public Act 358. ACS headquarters 
soon found a home in Washington, DC. Proceedings of the meetings were 
communicated to the chemical community through the publication of the 
Journal of the American Chemical Society, beginning in 1879. This 
journal was created to keep chemists informed about developments on the 
chemical frontier and is still the primary forum to communicate 
achievements in chemistry today.
  Developments in chemistry often paralleled national and global 
events. The impetus supplied by both World Wars I and II had an 
enormous impact on science and technology, and thus the nature of the 
ACS and the worldwide chemical enterprise. In fact, the end of WWII saw 
ACS as the new trustee of the Petroleum Research Fund, to be used 
solely to support advanced scientific education and fundamental 
research in the petroleum field. Petroleum security and supply remains 
one of the more crucial issues being addressed by professional chemists 
even today.
  In the mid-1960s, the growing role of the federal government in 
funding scientific research caused ACS to intensify their work in 
public affairs. They began to develop congressional testimony and 
public statements of the Society's position on a number of important 
matters under consideration by Congress and other federal agencies, 
including the government's cutbacks in space and military research and 
development. ACS was instrumental in helping chemists protect their 
jobs during economic downturns in these industries and to enhance the 
professional image of the discipline.
  In the late 20th century, significant developments in the field of 
electronics and microprocessor technology resulted in a sea change in 
analytical instrumentation, from chromatographs, both gas and liquid, 
to spectrometers, to wet chemistry systems. The development of fiber 
optic cables improved the storage and transmission of chemical data. As 
a result, ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry was formed in April 
1974. Chemistry was becoming an integral part of the new global economy 
and information network. This is particularly relevant in northern New 
Jersey where ACS has spearheaded efforts to make this area a global 
leader in the development and production of pharmaceuticals.
  Over the last several decades, ACS realized that the public's view of 
the chemical industry was becoming tainted by some high-profile cases 
of contamination, initially triggered by the publication of Rachel 
Carson's ``Silent Spring'' and further reinforced by chemical releases 
endangering public health at Love Canal and Bhopal, India. To offset 
these events, ACS encouraged the establishment of the Chemical 
Manufacturers Association's (now the American Chemistry Council) 
Responsible Care Program. The goals of the program are to improve the 
chemical industry's

[[Page E2041]]

performance on issues of health, safety, and environmental quality, and 
to improve the industry's response to public disquiet. ACS further 
responded to environmental concerns in January 2001 by making the Green 
Chemistry Institute part of their headquarter operations. GCI is 
designing new chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate 
the generation and use of hazardous substances.
  The success of ACS at their 125-year mark is demonstrated by a 
membership more than 163,000 strong, 33 discipline divisions, and the 
publication of 34 different professional journals and magazines which 
contain more than three million pages of original, peer-reviewed 
research findings. ACS has been a leader in promoting science and the 
chemical profession and I hope that this body will anticipate 
celebrating their bicentennial anniversary to mark the next 75 years of 
achievements.

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