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00:00:32 It was a day to honor one man's innovation and its lasting impact on America.

00:00:39 Pioneered by Eugene Jules Houdry, 1892 to 1962,

00:00:44 the catalytic cracking of petroleum revolutionized the industry.

00:00:48 The Houdry process conserved natural oil by doubling the amount of gasoline produced by other processes.

00:00:54 It was a day to celebrate an industry and a community.

00:00:58 But in my personal capacity as someone who was born and raised less than a mile from here,

00:01:03 I can tell you it's an honor to see that we recognize industry for the good things that they provide

00:01:08 and that they do for not just our region, but also for society in general.

00:01:14 It was also a day to remind the public of the role chemistry plays in their lives.

00:01:19 We're very excited to not only bring chemists and engineers from around the country to come

00:01:25 and be a part of the celebration, but we've invited over 600 local residents

00:01:30 and government officials who we anticipate to be here this morning.

00:01:34 By paying tribute to the Houdry catalytic cracking process,

00:01:38 the American Chemical Society reinforced its commitment to promoting the vital contributions

00:01:43 that chemical science and technology have made to American life.

00:01:48 This outreach effort, called the National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program,

00:01:52 is designed to discover and commemorate the hidden scientific heritage within communities across the country.

00:01:59 The program both renews the past and preserves it for the future,

00:02:03 recognizing chemical pioneers like Joseph Priestley and Edward Morley,

00:02:07 sites like DuPont's first nylon plant,

00:02:10 chemicals from Cole Facility at Eastman Chemical,

00:02:13 and the Chandler Chemistry Laboratory,

00:02:15 resources like the Williams-Miles History of Chemistry Collection,

00:02:19 and product milestones like Bakelite and Kemptone paint.

00:02:23 Sponsored by the ACS Division of the History of Chemistry and the Office of Public Outreach,

00:02:28 the program's success begins with the society's members.

00:02:32 It's these men and women in ACS local sections and divisions who volunteer their time to identify,

00:02:38 present, and nominate important landmarks in their area or discipline.

00:02:42 An advisory committee of chemists, chemical engineers, museum curators, and historians

00:02:48 carefully evaluates each nomination for its historic significance.

00:02:53 The Landmarks Advisory Committee is extremely important in terms of helping you

00:02:59 and assisting you in developing your program.

00:03:03 There's a number of groups that are involved, the Department of Public Outreach here,

00:03:09 of course the company or university that is a part of or is responsible for the particular laboratory

00:03:19 or location setting, the local section of course.

00:03:23 So it takes all of those components working together as a unit,

00:03:28 doing their part at the appropriate time in order to see that this event comes off.

00:03:33 While gaining landmark status is a cause for celebration,

00:03:37 the program's goals go far beyond a plaque marking a site for posterity.

00:03:41 More importantly, it builds public awareness of chemical achievement

00:03:45 and awakens the community to the history existing within it.

00:03:49 It also generates valuable media coverage.

00:03:52 The local company and the Cleveland schools both came out winners tonight.

00:03:56 Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams was honored for its historic invention of chemtone paint back in 1941.

00:04:03 The American Chemical Society presented the award,

00:04:06 and to celebrate, Sherwin-Williams donated 15 computers to the Cleveland Public Schools

00:04:11 to help enhance its science program.

00:04:15 In keeping with other ACS outreach efforts, the National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program

00:04:20 is a way to make chemistry an enduring presence in the lives of people nationwide.

00:04:25 In support of the Office of Public Outreach, local sections and divisions can organize their own landmark program

00:04:31 and further the American Chemical Society's mission.

00:04:36 It's an opportunity to discover, to celebrate, and to communicate.

00:04:42 Commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm are the keys, and the benefits are many.

00:04:49 Another aspect of the Landmarks Program that really makes it a terrific activity

00:04:53 for local section participation in public outreach

00:04:56 is that chemical innovation has occurred just about everywhere.

00:04:59 So almost every local section and every ACS division

00:05:02 has some landmark in their area, their region, their discipline

00:05:05 that they can really get involved in.

00:05:08 All it takes is somebody with enthusiasm to serve as a catalyst,

00:05:11 and it really is a great way to get people involved in local section and divisional activity

00:05:16 and to really get them to work together.

00:05:19 I think we can have 900 of them, because it is positively a marvelous program

00:05:25 in every community, I think, where there are chemists working,

00:05:28 in a chemical plant, in a university.

00:05:31 There is something to be proud of, and the community should be made well aware of it.

00:05:35 And this is the way to do it.

00:05:37 The whole process for me was just such a spiritual and emotional high,

00:05:46 and that's one of the reasons why I would ask local section members

00:05:50 to look around themselves, to look around in their area,

00:05:57 identify those sites and products and other artifacts

00:06:03 which are worthy of historical recognition.

00:06:07 Now is the time to do it, because if we don't do it, nobody else is going to do it.

00:06:33 For more information, visit www.fema.gov