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American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records

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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
041
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
12.5 linear feet (11 boxes.)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records, 1934-2011, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1934-2011 (inclusive) and 1934-1983 (bulk)
Creator:
American Chemical Society. Division of Organic Chemistry
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
Financial records, ledgers, meeting agenda and minutes, institutional records, publications, correspondence, conference programs, reports, and abstracts belonging to the American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Organic Chemistry (ORGN) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster and promote the advancement of the field of organic chemistry.

The first meeting of the Division of Organic Chemistry took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in December 1904 under the chairmanship of James F. Norris. On December 31, 1908, the Division was given a temporary organization status by ACS with the election for one year of a chairman, Richard S. Curtiss, and a vice chairman and secretary, Ralph H. McKee. In 1909, the Division Bylaws were approved, and in 1910, the Division was officially chartered.

In 1921, the Division of Organic Chemistry began publication of Organic Syntheses, which has provided the chemistry community with annual collections of detailed, reliable, and carefully checked procedures for the synthesis of organic compounds. The Division held the First National Symposium on Organic Chemistry (NOS) in Detroit, Michigan in December 1925 with one hundred seventy-five people in attendance. At the 1949 Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin, attendance had reached over one thousand. The NOS is a premier event sponsored by the Division and is held in the summer of odd-numbered years. The goal of NOS is to highlight recent advances in organic chemistry with a schedule that provides for open discussion of the science of organic chemistry. In 1936, the Division sponsored the creation of the Journal of Organic Chemistry. By 1952, the Division of Organic Chemistry was one of the largest divisions of the ACS.

The Division of Organic Chemistry has created several professional, student, and publication awards regarding organic chemistry research. The Roger Adams Award was established in 1959 to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions to research in organic chemistry defined in its broadest sense. In 1973, the Arthur C. Cope Award was established to recognize outstanding achievement in the field of organic chemistry. The Division began creating scholarships and fellowships in the 1980s: the Graduate Fellowship Program in 1981 and Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awards Program in 1986.

The Division of Organic Chemistry has received several recognitions and awards from the ACS. In 1990, the Division received the ACS Award for Outstanding Performance by Divisions in recognition of its service to its members and its contributions to the profession and the public understanding of chemistry. In 2009, forty-three members of the Division of Organic Chemistry, were selected as Inaugural ACS Fellows. In 2010, the Division held its First Graduate Research Symposium (GRS) at Boston College. The Division has been the recipient of the ChemLuminary Award for Activities eight times between 2000 and 2015.

Sources

American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry. "History of the Division." About Us. https://www.organicdivision.org/history/.

Browne, Charles Albert and Mary Elvira Weeks. A History of the American Chemical Society, Seventy-Five Eventful Years. Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, 1952.

American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records contains the Division's institutional records. The files in these records consist primarily of financial records, correspondence, Committee agendas and minutes, conference reports and programs, and Division publications. The records are arranged into the following eight series:

  1. Abstracts
  2. Financial Records
  3. Manuals of Procedure
  4. Committees and Officers
  5. Miscellaneous ORGN Records
  6. Meetings, Conferences, and Symposia
  7. Division Publications
  8. Recent Symposia (2000 on)

The American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Lisa McElwee-White (Chair, 2009) on behalf of the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry.

The American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records were processed by Andrew Mangravite in 2011 and encoded into EAD by Samantha Brigher in 2020.

Twenty-one other known collections created by the American Chemical Society are preserved at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

People
Subject

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Samantha Brigher.
Finding Aid Date
2011
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials.

Use Restrictions

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Records. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Collection Inventory

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Abstracts. Arranged somewhat chronologically by year, this series consists of seven bound volumes and loose papers in three boxes. These files contain abstracts of annual ACS National Meetings and National Organic Chemistry Symposia.

ACS National Meeting abstracts - seven bound volumes, 1938-1980.
Box 1 Volume 1-7
National Organic Chemistry Symposia abstracts (7th-27th) - five bound volumes, 1937-1981.
Box 1 Volume 8-12
ACS National Meeting abstracts - loose paperbound copies, 1938-1979.
Box 2
ACS National Meeting abstracts - loose paperbound copies, 1980-1985.
Box 3
National Organic Chemistry Symposia abstracts - loose paperbound copies, 1973-1983.
Box 3

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Financial Records. Arranged somewhat alphabetically, this series consists of forty-two files in two boxes. The files are arranged in the following two sub-series:

  1. Financial Records, 1954-1969
  2. Financial Records, 1960-1979
Sub-series Description

Arranged somewhat alphabetically, this sub-series consists of one box of twenty-four files. These files contain bank statements, bills collected and paid, handwritten lists of deposits and expenses, deposit slips and lists, and financial records.

Bank Statements, 1962 September 1-1963 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 1
Bank Statements, 1963 September 1-1964 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 2
Bills Collected and Paid, 1959 September 1-1960 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 3
Bills Collected and Paid, 1960 September 1-1961 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 4
Bills Collected and Paid, 1961 September 1-1962 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 5
Bills Paid, 1962 September 1-1963 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 6
Bills Paid, 1963 September 1-1964 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 7
"Books" (handwritten lists of deposits, expenses, etc.), 1954 September 1-1955 September 1.
Box 4 Folder 8
"Books", 1956-1957.
Box 4 Folder 9
"Books", 1957-1958.
Box 4 Folder 10
"Books", 1958-1959.
Box 4 Folder 11
Deposit Slips and Lists, 1959 September 1-1960 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 12
Deposit Slips and Lists, 1960 September 1-1961 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 13
Deposit Slips and Lists of Names, 1962 September 1-1963 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 14
Deposit Slips and Lists of Names, 1963 September 1-1964 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 15
Financial Records, 1959 September 1-1960 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 16
Financial Records, 1960 September 1-1961 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 17
Financial Records, 1961 September 1-1962 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 18
Financial Records, 1962 September 1-1963 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 19
Financial Records, 1963 September 1-1964 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 20
Financial Records, 1964 September 1-1965 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 21
Financial Records, 1966-1967.
Box 4 Folder 22
Financial Statements and Records, 1968.
Box 4 Folder 23
Financial Records, 1969.
Box 4 Folder 24
Sub-series Description

Arranged somewhat alphabetically, this sub-series consists of one box of eighteen files. These files contain financial records, reports and statements, income tax correspondence, deposit and trust statements, and budget proposals.

Financial Records, 1970.
Box 5 Folder 1
Financial Records, 1971.
Box 5 Folder 2
Financial Records, 1972.
Box 5 Folder 3
Financial Records, 1973.
Box 5 Folder 4
Financial Records, 1974.
Box 5 Folder 5
Financial Records, 1975.
Box 5 Folder 6
Financial Records, 1976.
Box 5 Folder 7
Financial Records, 1978.
Box 5 Folder 8
Financial Records, 1979.
Box 5 Folder 9
Financial Reports (Annual) (Folder 1 of 2), 1972, undated.
Box 5 Folder 10
Financial Reports (Annual) (Folder 2 of 2), 1972, undated.
Box 5 Folder 11
Financial Statements - Expenditures, 1965-1966.
Box 5 Folder 12
Harvard Trust Deposits, 1961 September-1962 August.
Box 5 Folder 13
Harvard Trust - Past Harvard Trust Statements, 1960-1962.
Box 5 Folder 14
Income Tax Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), undated.
Box 5 Folder 15
Income Tax Correspondence - Filed Forms (Folder 2 of 2), undated.
Box 5 Folder 16
Proposed Budgets, 1975.
Box 5 Folder 17
Withholding Tax Statements, undated.
Box 5 Folder 18

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Manuals of Procedure. Arranged chronologically by date range, this series consists of six large ledger books, which were kept by the various Secretary-Treasurers of the Division. These ledgers contain forms, reports, internal memos and other useful divisional documents taped to the blank pages of the books. (As the tape has begun to dry out, and yellow the books are quite fragile and should be handled with care.)

Manual of Procedure (kept by Ralph L. Shriner), 1934-1939.
Box 6 Folder 1
Manual of Procedure (kept by Arthur C. Cope), 1939-1944.
Box 6 Folder 2
Manual of Procedure (kept by Ralph W. Bost), 1944-1949.
Box 6 Folder 3
Manual of Procedure (kept by Nelson J. Leonard), 1950-1954.
Box 6 Folder 4
Manual of Procedure (kept by William E. Parham), 1955-1959.
Box 6 Folder 5
Manual of Procedure (kept by Herbert O. House), 1959-1964.
Box 6 Folder 6

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Committees and Officers files. Arranged by topic, this series consists of one box of twelve files. The files are arranged in the following five sub-series:

  1. Executive Committee
  2. Nominating Committee
  3. Planning Committee
  4. Division Chair
  5. Office of the Secretary
Sub-series Description

Arranged chronologically by date range, this sub-series consists of six files. These files contain the Division of Organic Chemistry Executive Committee records, and the agendas and minutes of Executive Committee meetings.

Executive Committee Records Before 1963, 1959-1962.
Box 7 Folder 1
Agendas and Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1963-1968.
Box 7 Folder 2
Agendas and Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1969-1973.
Box 7 Folder 3
Agendas and Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1974-1978.
Box 7 Folder 4
Agenda of Executive Committee Meeting, New York, New York, 1981 August 23.
Box 7 Folder 5
Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings, 2003-2010.
Box 7 Folder 5b
Sub-series Description

This sub-series consists of one file. This file contains contain materials regarding the Division of Organic Chemistry Nominating Committee from 1954 to 1981.

Nominating Committee, 1954-1981.
Box 7 Folder 6
Sub-series Description

This sub-series consists of one file. This file contains materials regarding the Division of Organic Chemistry Planning Committee from 1959 to 1960.

Planning Committee, 1959-1960.
Box 7 Folder 7
Sub-series Description

This sub-series consists of one file. This file contains materials regarding Division Chair Edwin Vedjes.

Edwin Vedejs, 2003.
Box 7 Folder 8
Sub-series Description

Arranged chronologically by date range, this sub-series consists of four files. These files contain materials regarding the Office of the Secretary.

Office of the Secretary, 1960-1963.
Box 7 Folder 9
Office of the Secretary, 1963-1964.
Box 7 Folder 10
Office of the Secretary ("Joint-Sponsorship/Co-Sponsorship"), 1978-1980.
Box 7 Folder 11
Office of the Secretary, 1981-1983.
Box 7 Folder 12

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Miscellaneous ORGN Records. Arranged alphabetically by topic, this series consists of two files in one box. These files contain the Division's bylaw revisions and membership lists.

Bylaw Revisions, 1978-1981.
Box 7 Folder 13
Membership List, 1981.
Box 7 Folder 14

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Meetings, Conferences, and Symposia files. Arranged in its original order, this series consists of two boxes of fifty-nine files. These files contain finance reports, minutes, correspondence, programs, abstracts, invoices, attendee lists, and summary reports regarding the National Organic Chemistry Symposium and awards presented.

Organic Symposium 1973 - Speakers (Finance reports, minutes, etc. kept by Nicholas Turro.), 1973.
Box 8 Folder 1
Dallas, Texas - correspondence, agenda, program book, 1973.
Box 8 Folder 2
166th ACS Meeting, Chicago, Illinois - program book and abstracts, 1973 August.
Box 8 Folder 3
1st Organic Conference, Cape Cod, Massachusetts - correspondence and conference statistics, 1973 October.
Box 8 Folder 4
ACS Meeting, Los Angeles, California, April 1974 - typed program, abstracts and correspondence, 1973.
Box 8 Folder 5
Centennial Symposium, Atlantic City, New Jersey - correspondence, program book and finance report, 1974.
Box 8 Folder 6
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 1975 - correspondence, program book, and abstracts, 1974-1975.
Box 8 Folder 7
2nd Organic Conference, Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania - correspondence and program, 1974.
Box 8 Folder 8
3rd Program Coordination Conference, Chicago, Illinois, 1975 (INSA III) - correspondence and minutes, 1975-1976.
Box 8 Folder 9
Symposium on Natural Products and Organic Syntheses, Mexico City, Mexico, December 1975 - correspondence, abstracts and program, 1975.
Box 8 Folder 10
24th National Organic Symposium, Fort Collins, Colorado - correspondence and program, 1974-1975.
Box 8 Folder 11
ACS Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, Summer 1975 - correspondence and program, 1974-1975.
Box 8 Folder 12
Centennial ACS Meeting, New York, New York, April 1976 - correspondence and program, 1974-1976.
Box 8 Folder 13
San Francisco, California, August 30-September 3, 1976 - correspondence, program and final report, 1975.
Box 8 Folder 14
PCC Conference - correspondence and program, 1977.
Box 8 Folder 15
ACS Spring Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1977 - correspondence and program, 1976-1977.
Box 8 Folder 16
ACS Chicago, Illinois, 1977 - correspondence and program, 1975-1977.
Box 8 Folder 17
Proposed Joint CIC-ACS Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, 1977 - correspondence (Declined due to proximity to ACS New Orleans Meeting.), 1976.
Box 8 Folder 18
25th National Organic Symposium, Morgantown, West Virginia, June 1976 - correspondence, 1975-1976.
Box 8 Folder 19
26th National Organic Symposium, Tucson, Arizona, June 1977 - correspondence, 1977-1980.
Box 8 Folder 20
ISNA III - Breslow - correspondence, program, attendee list, and abstracts, 1977-1978.
Box 8 Folder 21
Anaheim Meeting, Anaheim, California - correspondence, minutes, program, abstracts, 1977-1978.
Box 8 Folder 22
Miami Meeting, Miami, Florida - correspondence and minutes, 1977-1978.
Box 8 Folder 23
Symposium Abstracts - correspondence and invoices, 1977-1981.
Box 8 Folder 24
Kipping Award - correspondence, 1977-1981.
Box 8 Folder 25
Roger Adams Award - correspondence, 1977-1981.
Box 8 Folder 26
Agenda for Fall Meeting, September 1978 - agenda and correspondence, 1978-1979.
Box 8 Folder 27
Honolulu Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 1979 - correspondence, agenda, minutes, 1979-1980.
Box 8 Folder 28
PCC (Crosby, Corey Gilman), St. Louis, Missouri, June 1979 - correspondence, tentative agenda, attendee list and summary report, 1979-1980.
Box 8 Folder 29
Reports on Older Symposia, 1955-1972.
Box 8 Folder 30
Houston, Texas, Executive Committee Meeting, 1980 - correspondence, minutes, etc., 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 1
179th ACS National Meeting, Houston, Texas, March 23-28, 1980 - correspondence, program, attendance reports, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 2
Mateos Mexican Symposium - correspondence, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 3
Executive Committee Agenda, San Francisco, California, August 24, 1980 - correspondence, agenda, minutes (Incl. materials regarding location switch to Las Vegas and some withdrawn papers.), 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 4
Session Chairmen, San Francisco, California - correspondence, attendee list, response cards, 1980.
Box 9 Folder 5
"Ultimate Carcinogens" - Katznellenbogen Symposium - correspondence, attendee list, program, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 6
"Chemistry of Strained Rings" - Padwa Symposium - correspondence, program, abstracts, 1980.
Box 9 Folder 7
Organosillicon Symposium - T. Barton - correspondence, attendee list, 1979-1981.
Box 9 Folder 8
Liotta Symposium, Houston, Texas, 1980 - correspondence, 1978-1979.
Box 9 Folder 9
Gschwend Symposium, Houston, Texas, 1980 - correspondence, program, report, 1978-1980.
Box 9 Folder 10
Session Chairmen - Houston Meeting, Houston, Texas - correspondence, attendee list, response cards, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 11
Houston Meeting, Houston, Texas, March 1980 - correspondence, program, 1979-1981.
Box 9 Folder 12
Myers Symposium, San Francisco, California, 1980 - correspondence, program, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 13
San Francisco Program, San Francisco, California, 1980 - correspondence, registration requests, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 14
Woodward Symposium - Program - correspondence, abstracts, registration requests, 1979-1981.
Box 9 Folder 15
Woodward Symposium - Speakers - correspondence, 1980-1981.
Box 9 Folder 16
3rd IUPAC Synthesis, June 1980 - correspondence, 1978-1979.
Box 9 Folder 17
5th IUPAC Conference, August 1980 - correspondence, program, and abstracts, 1978-1980.
Box 9 Folder 18
1981 IUPAC Conference - correspondence and program, 1980.
Box 9 Folder 19
QUIN Phosphorous Symposium 1981 - correspondence, 1979.
Box 9 Folder 20
Transition States Symposium - correspondence, 1981.
Box 9 Folder 21
Levy NMR Symposium - Atlanta Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, 1981 - correspondence, 1980-1981.
Box 9 Folder 22
Atlanta Chairmen - correspondence, 1980-1981.
Box 9 Folder 23
Treasurer's Report from Other Divisions - correspondence and report, 1980-1981.
Box 9 Folder 24
Atlanta Papers - correspondence and abstracts, 1980-1981.
Box 9 Folder 25
Atlanta Agenda - correspondence, 1980-1981.
Box 9 Folder 26
28th National Organic Chemistry Symposium, Bozeman, Montana, June 19-23, 1983 - information packet (two copies), 1983.
Box 9 Folder 27
International Solvent Extraction Conference 1983 - correspondence, conference info, 1979-1980.
Box 9 Folder 28
Invitations to Organic Chemistry Symposia - correspondence, 1961-1974.
Box 9 Folder 29

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Division Publications. Arranged chronologically by date, this series consists of twenty-three files in one box. The first twenty-one files contain the ACS Organic Division Newsletters, and the last two files contain website and webmaster materials.

ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 1995.
Box 10 Folder 1
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Spring 1996.
Box 10 Folder 2
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 1996.
Box 10 Folder 3
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Spring 1998.
Box 10 Folder 4
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 1998.
Box 10 Folder 5
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 1999.
Box 10 Folder 6
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Spring 2000.
Box 10 Folder 7
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2000.
Box 10 Folder 8
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Spring 2001.
Box 10 Folder 9
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2001.
Box 10 Folder 10
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2002.
Box 10 Folder 11
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Spring 2002.
Box 10 Folder 12
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Spring 2003.
Box 10 Folder 13
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2003.
Box 10 Folder 14
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2004.
Box 10 Folder 15
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2005.
Box 10 Folder 16
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2006.
Box 10 Folder 17
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2007.
Box 10 Folder 18
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2008.
Box 10 Folder 19
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2009.
Box 10 Folder 20
ACS Organic Division Newsletter, Fall 2010.
Box 10 Folder 21
ACS Website, 2001 October 26.
Box 10 Folder 22
ORGN Webmaster Files, 2011 August.
Box 10 Folder 23

Series Description

This series contains the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry's Recent Symposia files. Arranged chronologically by year, this series consists of two files in one box. These files contain materials from two National Organic Chemistry Symposia in 2001 and 2011.

37th National Organic Chemistry Symposium, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 2001 June.
Box 11 Folder 1
42nd National Organic Chemistry Symposium, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 2011 June.
Box 11 Folder 2

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