A Brief History of CHF
Ground Floor of First National Bank, ca. 1911. Photograph by William Rau. Chemical Heritage Foundation Archives, CHF Collections.
CHF’s programs and activities have evolved throughout the years, but its mission—to advance public understanding of chemistry and related sciences—has remained constant.
In 1982 the Center for the History of Chemistry was launched as a pilot project of the University of Pennsylvania and the American Chemical Society. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers became the third sponsor in 1984.
By 1987 the center was incorporated as a nonprofit organization called the National Foundation for the History of Chemistry. It was renamed the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) in 1992 to better reflect its interdisciplinary nature and the widening scope of its activities.
In 1995 CHF purchased its current home, the First National Bank building, set within Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park.
Today CHF is endorsed and supported by more than 30 affiliated organizations.