Chemical Heritage Foundation
(2013)
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| Former name | Center for the History of Chemistry (1982-1992) |
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| Established | 22 January 1982 |
| Location | 315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 |
| Key holdings | Alchemy, History of chemistry, History of science, Instrumentation |
| Founder | Arnold Thackray |
| President | Robert G. W. Anderson |
| Website | chemheritage.org |
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) is an institution for the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center. It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture of the American Chemical Society and the University of Pennsylvania, as the Center for the History of Chemistry (CHOC). The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) became a co-founder in 1984. Renamed the Chemical Heritage Foundation in 1992, it moved to its current location, 315 Chestnut Street in Old City, in 1996. On December 1, 2015, CHF and the Life Sciences Foundation finalized their merger, creating an organization that covers "the history of the life sciences and biotechnology together with the history of the chemical sciences and engineering."
The institution focuses not only on the history of chemistry but on the history of science, the history of technology, trends in research and development, the impact of science on society, and relationships between science and art, among other subjects. It actively supports a community of research scholars and an active oral history program. As of 2012, CHF was the largest grantor of research fellowships for the history of science in the United States.
President Carsten Reinhardt articulated the mission of CHF as follows: "CHF fosters dialogue on science and technology in society. Our staff and fellows study the past in order to understand the present and inform the future. We focus on matter and materials and their effect on our modern world in territory ranging from the physical sciences and industries, through the chemical sciences and engineering, to the life sciences and technologies. We collect, preserve, and exhibit historical artifacts; engage communities of scientists and engineers; and tell the stories of the people behind breakthroughs and innovations."
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