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 graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

and the

American Institute of Chemical Engineers The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as professionals independent of chemists and mechanical engineers. Curr ...

(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, subsequently as the Office of York & Sawyer, Architects; Kiff, Colean, Voss & Souder into the mid-1950s; and was succeeded by Kiff, Colean, Voss & Souder, who were ac ...

, 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), New York state. It provides technical and financial skills to owners of historic propert ...

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, Marston T. Bogert and others formed an organizational committee, and raised money to rent an available property at 108 West 55th Street. Committee chairperson Charles F. Chandler, a professor at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, 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. Educated in Belgium and Germany, he spent most of his career in the United States. He is best known for the inventions of Velox photographic paper ...

, Edward G. Love,

William H. Nichols William Henry Nichols (January 9, 1852 – February 21, 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 ...

and

Maximilian Toch Maximilian Toch (July 17, 1864 – May 28, 1946) was an American paint manufacturer and industrial chemist who developed a concrete filler method that was used in the construction of the Panama Canal. He was the co-owner of the New York firms Toc ...

. 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 Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manito ...

, the club president in 1909, was a professor at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

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 simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

, 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 (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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, born Itzak, firstborn son of a Jewish family from the German Eifel region, was educated at the universities of ...

to "The chemistry of phosphorescence" by

Wilder Dwight Bancroft Wilder Dwight Bancroft (October 1, 1867 – February 7, 1953) was an American physical chemist. Biography Born in Middletown, Rhode Island, he was the grandson of historian and statesman George Bancroft and great-grandson of Aaron 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 hexagonal ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydr ...

for

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

, crossed retorts for

distillation Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

, 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. 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

(founded in 1902) and the

(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,

Herman Frasch Herman Frasch r Hermann Frasch(December 25, 1851 – May 1, 1914) was a chemist, mining engineer and inventor known for his work with petroleum and sulfur. Biography Early life He was the son of Johannes and Frieda Henrietta (Bauer) Frasch. Both ...

, 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 ...

) in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. 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, inventor, and entrepreneur, and the founder of the cosmetics company Hazel Bishop, Inc. She was the inventor of the first long-lasting lipstick. Early life Bish ...

. 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 a member of the Club's board of directors.

Presidents of the Chemists' Club

* Charles F. Chandler, 1898-1900 * T. J. Parker, 1901 * Edward G. Love, 1902 * William McMurtrie, 1903 * Leo H. Baekeland, 1904 * Hugo Schweitzer, 1905 * William Jay Schieffelin, 1906 *

, 1907 * Marston T. Bogert, 1908 *

, 1909 * I. Frank Stone, 1910 * Russell Wellman Moore, 1911 * Morris Loeb, 1912 * Otto P. Amend, 1913 * Charles F. McKenna, 1914 * Milton C. Whitaker, 1915-1917 * Ellwood Hendrick, 1918-1920 * John E. Teeple, 1921-1922 * Floyd J. Metzger, 1923-1924 * Kenneth G. Mackenzie, 1925 * Theodore B. Wagner, 1926-1928 *

Lawrence V. Redman Lawrence V. Redman (September 1, 1880 – November 26, 1946), was a Canadian chemist and businessman who spent much of his adult life in the United States. Redman was a pioneer in the industrial applications of plastics. Biography Born in O ...

, 1929-1931 * George C. Lewis, 1931-1933 * Lewis H. Marks, 1933-1934 * Martin H. Ittner, 1935 *

Frederick G. Zinsser Frederick G. Zinsser (March 21, 1868 – January 20, 1956) was a resident of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York who established a chemical plant on the waterfront of the Hudson River called Zinsser & Company, which synthesized organic chemicals. The Z ...

, 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