00:00:00 In the heart of America's most historic city, a very special place has been created.

00:00:24 It is a place to house knowledge, insight, and treasures of education, invention, and

00:00:30 industry gathered by some of America's greatest scientists and entrepreneurs.

00:00:36 This is the new home of the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

00:00:41 The Chemical Heritage Foundation building is dedicated to those who joined in its creation,

00:00:47 the chemical families whose names we celebrate for their accomplishment and for their commitment

00:00:52 to preserving the past, for its value and application today and its impact on tomorrow.

00:01:00 Entering from Independence National Historic Park, the visitor enters the Eleuthère Irénée

00:01:05 DuPont Lobby, dedicated to the founder of America's first great chemical enterprise.

00:01:12 It's also dedicated to the important contributions of many scientists and entrepreneurs who made

00:01:17 the DuPont company a world leader.

00:01:22 This wall of honor is dedicated to those who have committed their support of the foundation's

00:01:28 mission.

00:01:31 Rising to the third floor, we enter the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of

00:01:36 Chemistry.

00:01:37 These studies offer scholars from around the world well-equipped spaces to conduct their

00:01:42 research.

00:01:45 It also contains the work of CHF's Oral History Project, which seeks to record the words and

00:01:51 ideas of chemistry's great doers and thinkers.

00:01:58 The Beckman Center adjoins the central feature of the foundation building, the Herbert H.

00:02:03 Dow Public Square.

00:02:06 This dramatic space is dedicated to the memory of Herbert Henry Dow, founder of Dow Chemical

00:02:11 and the most important chemical pioneer of his age.

00:02:17 Looking out over the home of Benjamin Franklin, and occasionally Ben Franklin himself, is

00:02:22 the beautiful Chemical Heritage Foundation Board Room.

00:02:29 This room is dedicated to Carl Gerstacker, renowned chemical engineer and former chairman

00:02:34 of Dow Chemical.

00:02:40 Also on the third floor is the Reading Room of the Othmer Library.

00:02:44 It is the center point for CHF's ever-growing work to make known America's history of chemical

00:02:50 achievement.

00:02:52 Donald Othmer was a pioneer in chemical engineering, especially in distillation technology, with

00:02:58 over 150 patents.

00:03:01 The Othmer Library Reading Room adjoins a special alcove, remembering the unique partnership

00:03:07 of Donald and Mildred Top Othmer, with many of their custom-built furniture pieces and

00:03:12 personal treasures.

00:03:15 The Sidney M. Edelstein Rare Book Room houses a priceless collection on chemical and molecular

00:03:21 sciences dating back to the 16th century.

00:03:24 It is dedicated to the memory of this respected and honored chemical pioneer, founder of Dexter

00:03:30 Chemical Corporation.

00:03:34 On the fourth floor is housed the collection of rare artworks that make up the Chester

00:03:39 G. Fisher Gallery.

00:03:41 This collection was gathered by the founder of Fisher Scientific International and his

00:03:45 son, James Fisher, starting in 1921.

00:03:56 The goal of the collection was to preserve the images of early science, including alchemy

00:04:03 and early medicine.

00:04:19 An important meeting facility of the Chemical Heritage Foundation is the Garfield Seminar

00:04:24 Room.

00:04:25 This room is named in honor of Eugene Garfield, Chairman Emeritus of the Institute for Scientific

00:04:30 Information, a pioneer in scientometrics, and the founder of the life sciences newspaper,

00:04:36 The Scientist.

00:04:39 Within these walls are priceless artifacts of America's chemical history, and the names

00:04:44 and writings of its most important leaders and scientists are contained on its shelves.

00:04:50 Thousands of unique documents, tens of thousands of scientific journals in more than 20 languages,

00:04:56 together with paintings, images, artifacts, and instruments, all await the investigation

00:05:02 of visiting scholars in this special place of scientific history.

00:05:08 The Chemical Heritage Foundation salutes those whose energy and support have made this landmark

00:05:14 building and its treasures of knowledge a reality.

00:05:26 Thank you.

00:05:27 Thank you.

00:05:28 Thank you.