Chemistry Department faculty circa 1900

The history of the Department of Chemistry at MIT dates back to 1865. Over the years, a number of renowned and colorful figures have been associated with the department as faculty and as students including James Mason Crafts, Arthur Amos Noyes, G. N. Lewis, James Flack Norris, Arthur C. Cope, and F. Albert Cotton.

Many important research advances in chemistry have taken place at MIT and the department has also been on the forefront of innovation in chemical education. A Timeline History of the MIT Chemistry Department outlines highlights in the history of the department.

A comprehensive history of the department is in preparation and will be published here organized into the following sections:

	I. The Early Days (1861 - 1888)
	II. Around the Turn of the Century (1890 - 1908)
	III. MIT moves from Boston to Cambridge (1916)
	IV. The Keyes Era (1922 - 1945)
	V. The Cope Era (1945 - 1964)
	VI. After Cope (1964 to present)

Ideas and suggestions for this departmental history should be forwarded to Professor Dietmar Seyferth (seyferth@mit.edu), MIT Room 4-382A.