Photographs and Ephemera from the Records of the Chemists' Club

The Chemists' Club was organized in November 1898 by 154 chemists who had been meeting in empty classrooms and chemical lecture halls to read and discuss professional papers. Notable attendees at these early meetings included such luminaries as Leo H. Baekeland, Charles F. Chandler, Morris Loeb, and E.G. Love, among others. Within a decade of its founding, the Club's success necessitated the creation of a permanent meeting place; spearheaded by Dr. Morris Loeb, construction of a New York City clubhouse began in 1909. After the Clubhouse opened in 1911, the development of a world-class library encompassing the collections of the American Chemical Society and members like Dr. Loeb, Drs. Frederic and Hugo Schweitzer, Professor Charles F. Chandler, and Dr. J. Meritt Mathews further elevated the stature of the Chemists' Club. Over the ensuing century, the Club emerged as a preeminent meeting place, listening post, networking hub, and technical archive for a broad cross-section of individuals, including chemists, chemical engineers, industry managers, and educators. In the present day, the Chemists' Club has expanded its membership further to include all who share an interest in the sciences, regardless of vocation.