ACS President: Frederick A. Genth (1820-1893)

Post doc and research assistant to Robert Bunsen

Owner of and chemist at the first commercial analytical laboratory in Philadelphia, 1848

• Doctorate,1845, University of Marlburg chemistry (with Robert Bunsen),

• Superintendent of Washington Silver Mine, North Carolina, 1849
• Chemist and mineralogist for the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, 1874
• Chemist for the Board of Agriculture of Pennsylvania, 1877-88
• Professor of analytical and applied chemistry and mineralogy, University of Pennsylvania, 1875-88
• Re-opened his commercial analytical laboratory, 1888-93
• Specialized in analytical chemistry and mineralogy

Wrote scientific papers and books in chemistry and mineralogy. Collaborated with Wolcott Gibbs on study of crystalline salts of Co(III) ammonia complexes (first recognition that ammonia could act as a ligand), in the 1850’s and the osmium ammonia complexes, in 1858. Discovered 24 new mineral species and studied them in detail, using both chemical and physical methods.

• Elected member of American Philosophical Society, 1854
• Elected member of National Academy of Sciences, 1872
• Elected fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1875
• Elected honorary fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1888

• Frederick Genth was one of the 30 founding members of ACS.
• He was selected as Vice President to John Draper, the first ACS president in 1876

. . . that Genth’s first commercial analytical laboratory was very successful because of his European training which was advanced compared to American training and his growing knowledge of mineralogy?

. . . that his appointment as faculty in chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania was the first separate chemistry appointment outside of the School of Medicine?