The Chemists' Club is a private club in New York whose membership is open to research and industrial

chemists A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

from all areas. The Chemists' Club filed for incorporation on December 9, 1898. The Club's goal was "to promote the interests of chemists and those interested in the science and applications of chemistry", by providing academics and industrial chemists with space to meet, work, and study. It provided a place for members of various chemical societies to meet and mingle, including the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

, the

Society of Chemical Industry The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Offices The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-in ...

, the , the American Electrochemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). From 1910 to the 1980s, the Club was located at 52 East 41st Street, New York City. Built by the architects

York and Sawyer York and Sawyer was an American architectural firm active between 1898 and 1949. The firms' work is exemplary of Beaux-Arts architecture as it was practiced in the United States. The partners Edward York (July 23, 1863– December 30, 1928) and ...

, the 41st Street building contained areas for talks, meetings, and dinners, living and laboratory spaces that could be rented by members, and a world-class chemical research library. ''The New York Times'' called it “absolutely unique in the world”. The board room was a recreation of an alchemist's laboratory. Sold in the 1980s, and now the Dylan Hotel, the building has been proposed as an individual landmark by the

New York Landmarks Conservancy The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a non-profit organization "dedicated to preserving, revitalizing, and reusing" historic structures in New York state. It provides technical assistance, project management services, grants, and loans, to owne ...

Formation

Before the club was founded in 1898, members of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Chemical Industry held events and meetings in homes, classrooms, and lecture halls, using whatever space was available. In 1898 Charles F. McKenna,

William McMurtrie William McMurtrie (March 10, 1851 – May 24, 1913) was an American chemist. His work helped launch the sugar beet industry in the United States. Life and career Born on a farm near Belvidere, New Jersey, the son of Abram McMurtrie and Almira Smi ...

Marston T. Bogert Marston Taylor Bogert (April 18, 1868 – March 21, 1954) was an American chemist. Biography He was born in Flushing, Queens, Flushing, New York (state), New York on April 18, 1868 and studied at the Flushing Institute, which was a well known p ...

and others formed an organizational committee, and raised money to rent an available property at 108 West 55th Street. Committee chairperson

Charles F. Chandler Charles Frederick Chandler (December 6, 1836 – August 25, 1925) was an American chemist, best known for his regulatory work in public health, sanitation, and consumer safety in New York City, as well as his work in chemical education—first a ...

, a professor at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, donated $1000 to the fledgling organization and became its first president. As of November 29, 1898, the club had 154 charter members, including

Leo Baekeland Leo Hendrik Baekeland (November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944) was a Belgian chemist. He is best known for the inventions of Velox photographic paper in 1893, and Bakelite in 1907. He has been called "The Father of the Plastics Industry" ...

, Edward G. Love,

William H. Nichols William Henry Nichols (1852–1930) was an American chemist and businessman. He was instrumental in building the chemical supply business in the U.S. The specialty materials business of Honeywell traces its roots back a small sulfuric acid comp ...

and Maximilian Toch. The Chemists' Club filed for incorporation on December 9, 1898. The papers were signed on December 24, 1898 and recorded on December 30, 1898.

Locations

108 West 55th Street

The club's first physical location was at 108 West 55th Street, previously the home of the Mendelssohn Glee Club. The space included a large assembly hall, reading rooms, and a small library. The club could not, however, secure a long-term lease on the property. The last meeting at the 55th Street location occurred on March 4, 1911.

52 East 41st Street

Morris Loeb, the club president in 1909, was a professor at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

and a member of a wealthy New York banking family. He was determined to create a permanent space for the Chemists' Club, and actively campaigned to raise money for the project. When a suitable property was found, Loeb purchased it for $175,000, under his own name. The Chemists Building Company was subsequently formed, and sold shares of stock to help finance the project. These shares were later reclaimed through donation and purchase. Loeb personally donated $75,000 of the eventual $500,000 building fund. Sadly, Loeb died not long after the club building was completed. His death of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

, on October 8, 1912, was felt to be a great loss. The Chemists' building at 52 East 41st Street,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, New York,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

was built by the architects

, replacing previous numbers 50-54. York and Sawyer filed the plans in January 1910 and completed the work in March 1911. The building opened on March 17, 1911. Several days of events were held to celebrate the opening. A number of scientific papers were presented, ranging from "The characteristics of living matter from the physico-chemical point of view" by

Jacques Loeb Jacques Loeb (; ; April 7, 1859 – February 11, 1924) was a German-born American physiologist and biologist. Biography Jacques Loeb, firstborn son of a Jewish family from the German Eifel region, was educated at the universities of Berlin, Munic ...

to "The chemistry of phosphorescence" by Wilder Dwight Bancroft and "The contributions of chemistry to sanitation" by William P. Mason. The resulting ten-story building was the home of the club from 1810 to the 1980s. The building was "an artistic structure of white marble, in the style of the French Renaissance of the Louis XVI period, finished with Ionic pilasters and balconies at the second story and similar decorative balconies at the top story.” ''The New York Times'' called the building “absolutely unique in the world”. The first three floors of the club were meeting and social spaces. The main floor included a large auditorium with a balcony. The second floor included a dining room, a billiard room, and other social areas. The third floor housed the library and museum. The fourth and fifth floors were living spaces for members. Above that, five floors were allocated to laboratory space fitted out with scientific apparatus for the use of members. Members could rent living and working space for days, weeks or months, according to their needs. If they wished, they could live at the club while carrying out their research. The organization was determined to make spaces available for those who would otherwise not have access to the resources they needed: To go with the new building, Loeb and others designed an emblem for the club. It included a hexagonal

benzene ring Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atom ...

for

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, ...

, crossed

retorts In a chemistry laboratory, a retort is a device used for distillation or dry distillation of substances. It consists of a spherical vessel with a long downward-pointing neck. The liquid to be distilled is placed in the vessel and heated. The ...

for

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

, and a

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

surrounded by fire, in red and gold. In 1988 the building was sold and eventually repurposed as the Dylan Hotel. The redesign has preserved many original features of the building, including the boardroom, which has been restored as the Alchemy Suite. The building has been proposed as an individual landmark by the

Penn Club

The Chemists' Club continues to meet as an "inner club" of the

Penn Club of New York City The Penn Club of New York (usually referred to as The Penn Club) is an American private, social club located in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Its membership is restricted to University of Pennsylvania alumni, students, f ...

. Members of the Chemists' Club are accepted at the Penn Club as members of an affiliate organization.

Life at the Club

Membership

Residents of New York and area could become members of the Chemists' Club for $25 a year. Non-residents who had less opportunity to use the club's resources could join for $5. In 1909, the club listed around 400 members, more than half of them residents of New York. By the end of 1911, the year that the 41st Street building opened, membership of the society was over 1000. More than half of the members were non-residents of New York. By April 1, 1929, the club had filled the quota of 750 resident members established in its bylaws, and created a waiting list for resident members. The quota for non-resident members was initially 1000, but in later years both quotas were increased, and additional categories of members added. Special provision was made for lower fees for students and recent graduates.

Meetings and events

The club provided meeting space for the local branches of a variety of chemical organizations. The two founding organizations were the

(founded in 1876) and the New York section of the

(founded in 1894). Members of the New York section of the Verein Deutscher Chemiker (founded in 1900), the American Electrochemical Society (founded in 1902) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE, founded in 1908) were also welcomed. In addition to a wide variety of regular meetings, dinners, and other local events, the Club acted as a base for international events. In 1904, the Club hosted the first annual meeting of the London-based

to be held outside Great Britain. On September 2, 1912, the club hosted attendees of the 8th International Congress of Applied Chemistry.

Accommodations

Eighteen rooms were available for rental in the main building at 41st street in 1911. When demand exceeded availability, those seeking accommodation were sent to the Murray Hill Hotel. A restaurant served the needs of residents and visitors at the Club. Later remodelling increased the number of available rooms.

Laboratories

The Club offered furnished laboratory space on a rental basis. An article in ''Industrial & Engineering Chemistry'' describes the need for such space: Chemists were warned that there was a waiting list for those hoping to rent laboratory space at the Club.

Library

A major impetus for forming the Club was the desire to house the library of the American Chemical Society and make the collection available to working chemists. For a time, the library had been located at the University Building, Washington Square, New York. When the University Building was demolished in 1894, the library went into storage. There was a strong desire to find it a new home. Although the American Chemical Society’s library became a core collection of the Chemists' Club in 1912, the Chemists' Club's library also received donations from across the United States. Various funds supported the purchase of new materials. The library eventually absorbed a number of private collections including those of Charles F. Chandler, J. Meritt Matthews,

John Mallet John William Mallet FRS (10 October 1832 – 7 November 1912) was an Irish chemist who lived and worked in the United States. Biography John William Mallet was born near Dublin to Robert Mallet and Cordelia Mallet (Watson). Robert Mallet was ...

Herman Frasch Herman Frasch r Hermann Frasch(December 25, 1851 in Oberrot bei Gaildorf, Württemberg – May 1, 1914 in Paris) was a chemist, mining engineer and inventor known for his work with petroleum and sulfur. Biography Early life He was the son of Joh ...

, Morris Loeb and Hugo Schweitzer. By 1913 the library was considered the largest chemical library in the country, and was opened to the public as well as to members. In 1914, it reportedly contained over 36,000 volumes and carried 400 journals. By 1928, it reportedly included 50,000 volumes. With the sale of the Chemists' Club building, the library was sold off. Portions of the library were donated to the Othmer library of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the

Science History Institute The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center. It was f ...

) in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

in 1988 and 1997.

Board room

''The New York Times'' wrote of the club: Another feature of the room was the stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling, in homage to the alchemists' iconographic

, which could live in fire without burning.

Services

Beginning November 15, 1909, a monthly newsletter, ''The Percolator'', informed members of activities and events. The club was the initiator of a variety of services. A Chemists employment bureau was established in 1904, and incorporated in 1913. It remained active until 1944. In response to the Depression, a Committee for the Relief of Unemployed Chemists and Chemical Engineers opened an office at the club in 1932.

Gender desegregation

For much of its history, in practice and at times by definition, membership in the Chemists' Club was open only to "male persons". Women were allowed to enter the premises as guests of members. However, the club was not entirely unsympathetic to women chemists. In 1921, the Club's Bureau of Employment expressed concern, in its yearly report, that women chemists were being laid off in the wake of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1971, the Chemists' Club was opened to women members. The first woman to be accepted as a member of the Chemists' Club was

Hazel Bishop Hazel Gladys Bishop (August 17, 1906 – December 5, 1998) was an American chemist and the founder of the cosmetics company Hazel Bishop, Inc. She was the inventor of the first long-lasting lipstick. Early life Bishop was born in Hoboken, New J ...

. Bishop was an industrial chemist, who had developed Hazel Bishop cosmetics. The second woman to join was E. Janet Berry, a chemist and expert in patent law who became one of the Club's board of directors.

Presidents of the Chemists' Club

, 1898-1900 * T. J. Parker, 1901 * Edward G. Love, 1902 *

, 1903 * Leo H. Baekeland, 1904 * Hugo Schweitzer, 1905 * William Jay Schieffelin, 1906 * Maximilian Toch, 1907 *

, 1908 * Morris Loeb, 1909 * I. Frank Stone, 1910 * Russell Wellman Moore, 1911 * Morris Loeb, 1912 * Otto P. Amend, 1913 * Charles F. McKenna, 1914 *

Milton C. Whitaker Milton C. Whitaker (1870-1963) was a noted 20th-century chemist. His areas of speciality were chemical engineering and industrial chemistry. Personal life Whitaker was born in Frazeysburg, Ohio, December 16, 1870, to R.B. Whitaker and Jennie Mag ...

, 1915-1917 * Ellwood Hendrick, 1918-1920 *

John E. Teeple John Edgar Teeple (January 4, 1874 – March 23, 1931) was an American chemical engineer who served as President of The Chemists' Club from 1921-1922 and received the Perkin Medal in 1927 for his work on potash during World War I. He was also a ...

, 1921-1922 * Floyd J. Metzger, 1923-1924 * Kenneth G. Mackenzie, 1925 * Theodore B. Wagner, 1926-1928 * Lawrence V. Redman, 1929-1931 * George C. Lewis, 1931-1933 * Lewis H. Marks, 1933-1934 * Martin H. Ittner, 1935 * Frederick G. Zinsser, 1936 * William Callan, 1937-1938 * Frederick M. Becket, 1939-1940 * Walter S. Landis, 1941-1942 * Carl R. DeLong, 1943 * Charles R. Downs, 1944 * Wallace P. Cahoe, 1945-1947 * Frank E. Barrows, 1948-1949 * Harold E. Thompson, 1950-1951 * William F. George, 1952-1953 * Ira Vandewater, 1954-1955 * Lee V. Steck, 1950-1958 * Howard Farkas, 1958-1960 * Lincoln T. Work, 1960-1962 * Foster Dee Snell, 1962-1964 * Robert L. Bateman, 1964-1966 * F. J. Van Antwerpen, 1966-1968 * Fred J. Emmerich, 1968-1970 * James A. Wilson, 1970-1972 * Charles E. Griffith, 1972-1974 * Donald F. Othmer, 1974-1976 * Samuel F. Teague, 1976-1978 * Robert J. Milano, 1978-1982 * Robert H. Kampschulte, 1982-1983 * L. John Polite, Jr., 1983-1987 * Paul L. Kohnstamm, 1987-1989 * L. John Polite, Jr., 1989-1998 * Roland Stefandl, 1998- File:Edward G. Love Chemists Club President 1902-1903 2003.531.015.tif, Edward G. Love, Chemists' Club President 1902-1903 File:William McMurtrie Chemists Club President 1903-1904 2003.531.017.tif, William McMurtrie, Chemists' Club President 1903-1904 File:Maximilian Toch Chemists Club President 1907 2003.531.026.tif, Maximilian Toch, Chemists' Club President 1907 File:John E. Teeple Chemists Club President 1921-1922 2003.531.025.tif, John E. Teeple, Chemists' Club President 1921-1922

References

External links

* Finding Aid t
Records of the Chemists' Club, 1896-1997

, Philadelphia, PA. * Finding Aid t
Miscellaneous records of the Chemists' Club, 1899-1911.

, Philadelphia, PA. * Finding Aid t
Photographs from the Records of the Chemists' Club

, Philadelphia, PA. {{DEFAULTSORT:Chemists' Club (New York, N.Y.) 1898 establishments in New York City Gentlemen's clubs in New York City