Fall 2022 ACS Meeting Poster - HIST Division
The Chemical Bulletin by the Chicago Section ACS:
Engaging Chemists for Over One Hundred Years
Amber Arzadon4, Paul F. Brandt3, Josh W. Kurutz1,2, Margaret E. Schott5
ABSTRACT
A variety of historical treasures are found in the 109 volumes of The Chemical Bulletin, the newsletter of the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society. Originally titled The Chicago Chemical Bulletin, our publication predated C&EN’s earliest incarnation by nine years and continues to serve much the same function: reporting news about the chemical enterprise; celebrating chemists’ achievements; presenting feature articles interesting to chemists, including chemistry educators; providing chemists a forum to share opinions and debate; supporting outreach to the public and elected officials; indulging in niche chemistry humor; etc.
In this poster we showcase certain aspects of The Chemical Bulletin’s history that its recent Editors and contributors have found appealing, including the following:
- Its function as an early regional “social network” for chemists, sharing promotions, patents, degrees, positions sought, marriages, births, etc. from the Chicago Section and several of its neighbors, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Milwaukeee, Illinois, and more.
- Chemistry-themed artwork, especially original rubber stamps and the integration of art into the National Meetings.
- Discussion and debate in opinion and letters section on pressing matters of the day, such as chemists’ roles in WWI and WWII, the influence of communism and the Red Scare on the enterprise, and more.
- Its function as a lens providing insights into women’s role in chemistry over the course of more than a century, tracking the evolution of focus from “household chemistry” to professional employment in industry, agriculture, medicine, and education to issues like compensation equity.
1: Historian, Chicago Section ACS, Chicago, IL, United States.
2: Chemistry Dept., University of Chicago Division of the Physical Sciences, Chicago, IL, United States.
3: Chemistry Dept., North Central College, Naperville, IL, United States.
4: Honeywell Aerospace, Des Plaines, IL, United States); Chemical Bulletin Co-Editor
5: Chemistry Dept., Northwestern University Judd A and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Evanston, IL, United States.
The Progressive Mindset of Chicago Women Chemists
Margaret E. Schott
Beginning with the founding of The Chicago Chemical Bulletin in October 1914, one can glean information on Chicago-area women chemists across the decades. Topics included the appropriate education and training of women in the sciences, degrees earned, articles written by women, editorials in support of women’s involvement in the Section, job ads, the formation of honorary scientific fraternities, visits by prominent women chemists, technical talks given by women, and the numerous women who took on leadership roles in the Chicago Section. A brief timeline of women’s milestones gives some indication of progress as recorded in the bulletin.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL POSTER PORTION: https://chicagoacs.org/22fall_poster_bulletin-progressivewomen
20th Century Social NetWork
Amber K. Arzadon
ACS Local Sections and their newsletters serve as mechanisms through which for scientists connect over shared interests and experiences. The Chemical Bulletin has provided a social network for ACS members from Chicago and other cooperating sections in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
https://chicagoacs.org/22fall_poster_bulletin-20thcenturysocial
The Fine Art of Chemistry
Paul F. Brandt
The Chemical Bulletin shows the different talents of the chemical professionals. In the 1950’s the National Meetings held in Chicago began to hold photo and artwork contests at the expositions. The call for the contests and the winners were displayed in the pages of the Bulletin.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL POSTER PORTION: https://chicagoacs.org/22fall_poster_bulletin-art
Reflections of Society
Josh W. Kurutz
The century+ of the Bulletin’s activity reflects how events in broader society affected the chemical enterprise. Sometimes Chicago Section members’ actions made positive impacts contributing to progress in our nation. Here are some examples
SEE: https://chicagoacs.org/22fall_poster_bulletin-reflections
