Photographs from the Records of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)

Founded in 1919, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is a union of national chemical associations (National Adhering Organizations or NAOs), which represent the chemists of different member countries. IUPAC's roots can be traced to a series of international meetings first organized by August Kekulé in 1860, which aimed to foster communication between nations and encourage the evolution and adoption of standardized nomenclature and methodologies. The International Association of Chemical Societies (IACS), which first met in Paris in 1911, was the direct antecedent to IUPAC, whose areas of focus historically included the coordination of nomenclature in inorganic and organic chemistry, standardization of atomic weights, and establishing commissions for the review of work and formats of publication. During the Cold War, IUPAC served as an important instrument for maintaining technical dialogue among scientists throughout the world and became an active sponsor of international conferences and symposia. As of 2014, IUPAC consists of sixty NAOs and its work is divided into eight divisions: Physical and Biophysical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Polymers, Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry and the Environment, Chemistry and Human Health, and Chemical Nomenclature and Structure Representation.