Nominations

Nominations are made by

• ACS local sections
• ACS divisions
• ACS committees

The NHCLP Committee encourages co-sponsorships between and among local sections, divisions, committees, and others.

[return to top of page]

Nomination Requirements

The nominators of a prospective landmark must demonstrate that it meets the criteria for a Landmark designation. The nominators should take special care in articulating the science that is being commemorated.

The nominating group must include supporting evidence (e.g., documents, photographs, and illustrations). The nomination form has a place to list commitments for financial support because the nominating group assumes responsibility for part of the costs of a landmark designation.

The nomination form is sent to the NHCL program manager who acknowledges its receipt and transmits it to the NHCLP Advisory Committee for review before its next meeting. Nominators must submit a signed original and an electronic version or a signed original and twenty copies of the nomination form and accompanying support no later than one month before an upcoming committee meeting. The committee meets twice a year.

Please note: The National Historic Chemical Landmark committee strongly urges that potential nominators submit a pre-nomination summary to the committee asking for a preliminary reading on whether a nomination fits the above criteria as well as the mission statement of the NHCLP. The committee's response could help steer a nomination in the proper direction.

[return to top of page]

Preparing a Nomination

It is recommended that the nominating organization form a local committee to do the research and prepare the nomination documents. The process, from filing a nomination with the NHCLP program manager to the designation ceremony, usually takes about a year. For accepted nominations, the local committee can be the nucleus for planning the designation ceremonies and implementing related public outreach activities.

There are costs associated with a nomination. For example, nominators need about $6,000 for preparation and printing of the commemorative brochure. Other costs are involved in the designation ceremony. The Office of Communications will help the organizers find funding sources and help coordinate planning the designation ceremony and media relations and community outreach programs. For more details on the designation ceremony, see Celebrating a Landmark Designation.

[return to top of page]

Committee Actions

The NHCLP Committee evaluates nominations and determines whether a nomination merits ACS recognition as a National Historic Chemical Landmark.

The committee reserves the right to limit the number of designations made during any calendar year, based on the availability of the personnel and resources the committee requires to discharge its responsibilities.

The NHCLP Committee may take one of three actions on a nomination:

1. Recommendation for Approval - Final approval of a Landmark nomination comes from the ACS Board of Directors.
2. Deferral - The committee may defer action for lack of sufficient information. In this case, nominators may be asked to supply further information or the committee may solicit further information from other sources.
3. Rejection - If a nomination is rejected, the chair of the National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program Committee writes to the nominator explaining why the nomination failed to meet the program's criteria. If new information surfaces, rejected nominations may be resubmitted after two years have elapsed.

[return to top of page]

Resources

Nominators have resources they may call upon for assistance in preparing nomination documents.

ACS Local Sections, Divisions, and Committees
The NHCLP is carried out at the local level: ACS local sections, divisions, and committees identify prospective chemical landmarks in their geographic or disciplinary areas, document their importance to society and the chemical enterprise, and nominate them for ACS designation as National Historic Chemical Landmarks. An individual ACS member can start the nomination process by proposing that a local section, division, or committee participate in the NHCLP Note: ACS Committees can also be a wonderful resource - please consider contacting all interested parties when preparing a nomination.

ACS Division of the History of Chemistry (HIST)
The division's interest is the history of the chemical sciences and technologies and their allied disciplines. The division supports programs and symposia at ACS national meetings and publishes the Bulletin for the History of Chemistry, a leading journal for the publication of historical research in chemistry and allied sciences. The division's Web site is http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~mainzv/HIST/.

ACS Office of Communications (NHCLP Sponsor)
The ACS Office of Communications sponsors the Landmarks program. The Communications staff includes an NHCL program manager who assists local sections and/or divisions with the nomination and designation process. The department also writes, edits, and designs NHCLP materials, including the commemorative plaque and the brochure.

NHCLP Advisory Committee
The NHCLP began in 1992 with the establishment of an international NHCLP Advisory Committee of chemists, chemical engineers, and historians of science and technology. The NHCLP Advisory Committee determines whether a nomination merits ACS designation as a National Historic Chemical Landmark, subject to approval by the ACS Board of Directors. If a nomination is approved, the committee appoints one of its members to act as liaison to the nominating group. From time to time, the committee may identify a seminal achievement it deems worthy of landmark status; in such a case, it may ask a local section or division, or both, to consider nominating it.

Chemical Heritage Foundation
Founded in 1983, "the Chemical Heritage Foundation collects and preserves historical materials, promotes research, and advances understanding of the achievements and broad impact on society of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries." The foundation supports NHCLP by serving as an information and reference resource for groups preparing nominations. CHF can be visited at the following Web site: http://www.chemheritage.org/.

Other Organizations
Certain local sections or divisions might find it appropriate to seek a joint designation with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or some other chemical or chemical engineering organization. A consultation with the chair of the NHCLP Committee can help nominators make this decision.

[return to top of page]

Copyright ©2004 American Chemical Society. All Rights Reserved. 1155 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20036
202-872-4600, 800-227-5558