Thanks to Dale Poulter, Editor of the Journal of Organic Chemistry, the recent article “Profiles in Chemistry: A Historical Perspective on the National Organic Symposium” is available free to Organic Division Members. This article written by Fenlon (Franklin and Marshall College) and Myers (Ohio Northern University and Organic Division Webmaster) was highlighted at the recent 43rd National Organic Chemistry Symposium (NOS) in Seattle and was reproduced in the Program Booklet for attendees. The article can be accessed free of charge to Division members through this special link: NOS History in JOC (you will need to login using your ACS username and password. Hint: type in your password vs. copy/paste then click on the image of the cover).
The article delineates the history of the NOS and, in doing so, traces the development of organic chemistry over the past 88 years. The NOS is the premier event sponsored by the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry and has been held in odd-numbered years since 1925, with the exceptions of 1943 and 1945. The article covers the first 42 symposia where 332 chemists have given 549 plenary lectures.