Fall 2022 ACS Meeting Poster - HIST Division
Photographic Insights into Gibbs Medal Ceremonies
Josh W. Kurutz1,2
ABSTRACT
The Willard Gibbs Medal, given by the Chicago Section of the ACS, is one of the most prestigious awards in chemistry, established
"To publicly recognize eminent chemists who, through years of application
and devotion, have brought to the world developments that enable everyone
to live more comfortably and to understand this world better."
First given to Svante Arrhenius in 1911, the award is given in an annual ceremony involving a sumptuous reception, banquet, lecture by the eminent scientist, and presentation of the medal, usually by the ACS President or President-Elect. Attendees usually include an array of luminaries including former Gibbs Medalists, ACS leadership, and other top chemical minds.
The usual treatment of these historic awards has been to showcase studio portraits of awardees. Here we show photos that provide insights into the personal experience of the Gibbs Ceremony - what it’s like to be in the room. Additional images of documents provide haptic texture of the occasion.
Gallery
CLICK on the mage to open the gallery:
Glamour
Gibbs Award events consist of a social hour, a banquet dinner, a ceremony, and a lecture by the medalist. They began as fancy-dress black-tie occasions, but for the last few decades this requirement applies only to those at the head table. Some events have included live music. Attendees often include a host of leading minds of the chemistry enterprise, such as past Gibbs medalists and officials from National ACS. The ceremony itself is relatively elaborate, including:
- Welcome by the Chicago Section ACS Chair, followed by a brief history of the award
- Introduction of the medalist by a colleague familar with their work
- Presentation of the medal by the ACS President or President-Elect
- A technical lecture by the awardee
Sometimes additional speakers have been added. In the early 20th century, awardees would prepare typed copies of their lecture, and the Chicago Section would bind them and other memorabilia into books and present it to them a few months after the ceremony. Sometimes medalists would give a technical talk in the afternoon before the main event, then give a more accessible address as part of the ceremony - acknowledging that the the ceremony was often attended by spouses and friends who were not chemists.
The first event was held for Svante Arrhenius at the Congress Hotel in Chicago. With hundreds of guests if was quite an affair, as evident in this photo:
Later years continued the tradition of fancy dress. Here we see Mrs. Wayne Cole and Dr. Peter J.W. Debye in 1962:
