15 of ACS’s most consequential presidents

Whether it was navigating laws preventing leadership from living outside of New York, realizing the importance of local engagement for progress, or opening the society to its first members who weren’t scientists by training, the American Chemical Society has witnessed and endured 150 years of changes within the society, science, and the world. For the society’s 150th year, C&EN is looking back at 15 of the ACS’s most consequential presidents: those who were charting the way, marking the firsts, navigating tumultuous times, or helping guide decisions that would shift the course of the society within society. While all presidents of the ACS have inspiring and impressive careers—with many famous and successful outside of their role in the society—this piece specifically looks at the presidents within the context of the society as a whole and not necessarily individual achievements or contributions. John W. Draper, 1876The New York University professor and physician served as the first president of the American Chemical Society in 1876. Draper was the first person to successfully capture a daguerreotype—a type of image created using an 1840s photographic process—of the moon. He had expertise across a broad range of fields including chemistry, physiology, and natural philosophy and was well known for his pioneering work in photography and photochemistry, abroad and in the US. A designated nominating committee provided a slate of unanimously accepted officers that Draper was a part of. His selection was a strategic choice, championed by the lead organizer of the society, Charles F. Chandler.