CHF plans for International Year of Chemistry

Sarah Reisert/Chemical Heritage Foundation

Sometimes called the birthplace of the United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is saturated with history. Every year, this port city on the Delaware River receives millions of visitors drawn to such iconic sites as Independence Hall, a stately red brick building where some of the most remarkable minds of their generation drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, setting the stage for America's adventure in democracy.

But it's not only US history that tourists will find here. A short distance from Independence Hall, just a brief walk down tree-lined Chestnut Street, stands the home of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) - an organization dedicated to chronicling another great human adventure, one that started hundreds of years before the American colonists took their stand in 1776 - chemistry.

Batteries are chemistry. Plastic bottles are chemistry. Antibiotics are chemistry. Even Jell-O is chemistry. And yet most people don't recognize the prominent role of chemistry in their everyday lives. The CHF is determined to correct that, not only preserving chemistry's past, but also presenting it to the public in ways that both instruct and entertain.

Founded in 1982 by University of Pennsylvania professor Arnold Thackray, along with the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the CHF has grown dramatically over the last quarter century. Today, the foundation's modern quarters contain a library of 100,000 volumes, both contemporary and rare; one of the finest collections of alchemical art on earth; and a brand-new museum showcasing artifacts ranging from Roman glass to early mass spectrometers to vintage chemistry sets, all of which make the Chemical Heritage Foundation the only institution of its kind in the world.

And as history happens, the CHF is there to record and collect it.

But with the world economy limping through a recession, how does an organization supported by donations and an endowment - two sources of income radically affected by economic woe - supposed to stay solvent? History certainly doesn't slow down, even if the economy does.

"People are less wealthy than they were a year ago and are uncertain about their future prospects," Kara Mitzel, CHF's director of development, acknowledges.

"We understand that, and are even more appreciative of the gifts we receive," she says. "We also believe that our mission is unique enough to interest new donors. It's challenging right now, but there are plenty of silver linings."

One silver lining is the continued donation of important scientific artifacts. Even amid the slowdown, people recognize the importance of preserving historic scientific items, observes Jennifer Landry, the CHF's head of collections.

"Donations of significant historical importance continue to be offered and donated to CHF despite difficult economic times," she says.

For example, donor Anthony Wu gave the CHF a teletype and a Finnegan Ion Trap, among several other items. Andrew Benson donated a 1940s sketchbook whose caricatures of well-known scientists reveal the playful side of biologist Hiroshi Tamiya, better known for his seminal work on photosynthesis.

Artifacts such as these require care, however, and it is here where cash donations are handiest, but with the economic slowdown they are also hardest to find.

Despite this, the CHF hasn't backed down from the challenges coming its way - for instance, the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) in 2011. Designated by the UN and its educational and scientific branch, UNESCO, the International Year of Chemistry will celebrate the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of all humankind.

The CHF, uniquely situated to tell chemistry's story, plans to take a major role in the IYC by hosting events, creating exhibitions and developing other activities highlighting the role of chemistry in everyday life.

Budgeting for celebrations two years in the future is particularly difficult given current economic uncertainty, and the CHF can only make tentative plans. However, those plans are nonetheless ambitious - after all, how often do you get an entire year devoted to celebrating the thing you're passionate about? The CHF is not about to let the opportunity pass, when realizing its potential is only a matter of finding others who care as deeply about the heritage of chemistry.

"I'm not saying the environment right now isn't challenging for non-profits - it certainly is," says Mitzel, "but if you have an important mission, a unique mission, and you work hard to realize it, which we do, I think you can make it through the hard times and be well positioned for when things turn around."

Visit the Chemical Heritage Foundation

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