| 1887 |
Chicago Chemical Society founded. |
| 1892 |
Chicago Chemical Society becomes affiliated with Chicago Academy of Sciences. |
| 1895 |
Chicago Section of the ACS is chartered on March 15, 1895. Section membership is 34. |
| 1907 |
At the 37th National Meeting of the Society, Max Henius presided at the Sherman Hotel. |
| 1911 |
First Willard Gibbs Medal awarded. First Section directory is published. |
| 1914 |
The Chemical Bulletin is founded by Otto Eisenshimil. Section operating deficit is underwritten by individual members in 1914 and 1915. |
| 1916 |
Inauguration of Section dues. Section membership is 551. |
| 1920 |
A surplus of $5,000 from sponsorship of the 60th National ACS meeting becomes the nucleus of a convention fund, fore-runner of reserve funds of the Section. Section membership is 892. |
| 1921 |
The group meeting system starts by Paul Nicholas Leech. |
| 1923 |
A part-time office to handle Chemical Bulletin is located at Schaar and Company is begun. Part-time secretarial help is also authorized for the Employment Committee, and is variously located at Wilson Laboratories, Dearborn Chemical Company, and Schaar and Company. |
| 1924 |
A drive for a $20,000 Endowment Fund is launched under the direction of B. B. Freud. |
| 1926 |
The Section and the University of Chicago cooperate in providing continuation courses in chemistry and related subjects during evening hours and on a graduate level. |
| 1928 |
The Chicago Section is incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation April 5, with extensive revisions in the bylaws, provision of a Board of Directors, and other changes. |
| 1929 |
Full time secretarial help is provided for Section business, with Olga Wagbo as first section employee. Office moved from Schaar and Company to space provided by the Chicago Chemists Club in City Club. |
| 1932 |
Headquarters moves to Midland Club. Section membership is 1,022. |
| 1934 |
Section Office and Chemists Club move to Stevens Hotel. |
| 1939 |
First Chicago Section radio program starts. Section membership is 1,540. |
| 1940 |
First National Chemical Exposition (NCE) held at Stevens Hotel under chairmanship of Roy C. Newton; Marcus W. Hinson was manager. |
| 1942 |
Second NCE held; Victor Conquest as chairman. Section Office moves to Medinah Club when Stevens Hotel is taken over by the Army. Section membership is 2,053. |
| 1944 |
Exposition moves to Coliseum and held there until 1945. M.H. Arveson, chairman, introduces Trail Blazers and famous vocational guidance booklet, “The Chemist and Chemical Engineer in Industry.” |
| 1945 |
Section Office moves to Fine Arts Building. Meetings held at Furniture Club. Section membership is 2,627. |
| 1946 |
Chicago Chemical Library Foundation starts in cooperation with Chicago Chemists Club Section Office is now in Pure Oil Building. |
| 1947 |
Board of Exposition Trustees created to supervise expositions. |
| 1949 |
Headquarters moves to Crerar Library building and a Section Manager is employed. Section membership is 3,744. |
| 1950 |
Section participates in first TV show and sponsors first Undergraduate Symposium in Chemistry at Roosevelt College. National Chemical Exposition is incorporated as a not for profit corporation in the State of Illinois. |
| 1955 |
High School Scholarship Examinations starts. Section membership is 4,281. |
| 1958 |
First all-day Chemistry Teachers Conference—held at DePaul University. |
| 1963 |
Reactivation of strong special-interest groups by Program Committee. |
| 1964 |
Section resumes sponsorship and control of new evening lecture series. |
| 1967 |
Annual Safety Conference starts. Section membership is 5,340.TRAIL BLAZERS OF CHEMISTRY is registered as a Service Mark to the Chicago Section.CHEM SHOW NEWS is registered as a Trademark to the Chicago Section. |
| 1969 |
Section membership is 5,594. |
| 1972 |
Marshall S. Smoler Award established and is given annually to the highest scoring Chicago Public High School Student on the Scholarship Exam. |
| 1973 |
Public Affairs Committee of the Chicago Section starts. |
| 1974 |
Distinguished Service Award of the Chicago section is established. |
| 1975 |
The Section received an ACS Local Section Membership Promotion Award. |
| 1976 |
The 75th Anniversary of the Chicago Section. |
| 1979 |
Section Membership is 5,676. |
| 1981 |
The Section’s Office relocates to 59 East Van Buren Street. |
| 1982 |
The Public Affairs Award is established by the Section’s Public Affairs Committee. |
| 1985 |
Chicago Section hosts the 190th ACS National Meeting. |
| 1986 |
The Section’s first annual Chemistry Day. |
| 1987 |
The Section receives “The Best Large Section” award. |
| 1990 |
The Section wins award for Outstanding Large Section. |
| 1991 |
The Section’s office moves to 7173 N. Austin, Niles, IL. Section wins a Phoenix Award for Best Intersectional Cooperation during National Chemistry Week –(the Chicago and Rock River Sections jointly sponsored Chemistry Day activities). |
| 1992 |
“CHEM SHORTS” For Kids is started as a regular feature in the Chemical Bulletin. |
| 1993 |
The Section wins the very first Public Relations Award for “outstanding activities in all areas of public outreach.” The section hosts the 206th ACS National Meeting. |
| 1994 |
Section membership is 5,684. The Marie Ann Lishka Memorial Scholarship Award is established and given to the highest scoring female high school student. |
| 1995 |
The Section celebrates its Centennial. The Section’s Job Club starts. The Section is co-winner with the Philadelphia Section for the ACS Award for Outstanding Performance by a Large Section and winner of a Phoenix Award for “Best Event in a Museum or Library.” |
| 1996 |
UOP’s Riverside Laboratory officially designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark, Section starts a Kids & Chemistry program. |
| 1999 |
Section receives a Phoenix Award for activities with underrepresented minority students. Section membership is 5,836. |
| 2000 |
Ron Sykstus retires as the Section’s long-time Business Manager and Executive Director. Gayle O’Neill, TEI Analytical, accepts position as Business Manager. Henrietta Z. Freud bequest is received for the purpose of supporting Section operations. Section membership is 5,515. |
| 2001 |
Rachel L. Smoler estate provides a bequest to endow the Marshall S. Smoler Memorial Award by Rachel L. Smoler scholarship fund in memory of her brother. Section hosts 222nd ACS National Meeting. Section member ship is 5,475. |
| 2002 |
Section hires Gail Wilkening as Office Manager. |
| 2002 |
Section wins ChemLuminary Award for Best Overall Local Section Committee on Minority Affairs. |
| 2003 |
Section wins ChemLuminary Award: Local Section/Division Interaction Award. |
| 2003 |
Section wins ChemLuminary Award: Local Section Outstanding Performance Award. VeryLarge Section Category. |
| 2008 |
Section wins ChemLuminary Award: Committee of Public Relations and Communications: Outstanding Continuing Public Relations Program of a Local Section. |
| 2009 |
Chicago Section Office moves to 1400 Renaissance Drive, Suite 312, Park Ridge, IL. |
| 2009 |
Section wins ChemLuminary Award: Committee on Local Section Activities; Outstanding Performance by a Local Section, Very Large Section. |
| 2010 |
Section membership is 4,546. |
| 2011 |
100th Gibbs Medal is presented to Dr. Robert Bergman, UC Berkeley |
