In the very early years of the American Chemical Society, there was a special interest subgroup, the Pharmaceutical Section. At the 40th national meeting of the Society, held at the Central High School Building in Detroit in June, 1909, the Pharmaceutical Section petitioned the ACS Council for a change of status and change of name to that of the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Alviso Burdett Stevens (University of Michigan) and Benjamin L. Murray (Merck & Company), Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the Pharmaceutical Section, were elected to their offices in the new Division by the 36 members present. A subsequent mail ballot vote of the Council of the A.C.S. conducted in October, 1909 unanimously confirmed the approval of the new Division. (Listed as entertainment highlights for all 320 members and guests at this 1909 A.C.S. meeting were, inter alia, a boat ride on the Detroit River and a visit to Hiram Walker & Sons).
When the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry was established, many of its members were pharmacists, either in academia or in industry, and early programs at national meetings largely reflected interests in drug assay methods and formulation improvements. However, the membership profile was slowly changing and in 1920 the Division became the Division of Chemistry of Medicinal Products. Within a relatively few more years, the Divisional membership was composed chiefly of individuals with degrees and professional careers in chemistry, and the membership's interest began to center around the chemical structure of drugs. In 1928 there was a final name change, to the Division of Medicinal Chemistry, with its primary stated goal being the stimulation of progress in medicinal chemistry research. The term medicinal chemistry replaced the less precise one, pharmaceutical chemistry, and medicinal chemists were recognized by the scientific community as practitioners of a unique type of chemistry, sometimes related to, but nevertheless separate and distinct from organic chemistry and biochemistry and from pharmacy.
In addition to conducting oral presentations of research findings at national meetings of the A.C.S., the Division has been aggressive in initiation and promotion of a wide variety of scholarly activities to the benefit of medicinal chemists. The first national Medicinal Chemistry Symposium (sponsored by the Division) was held in 1948 at the University of Michigan, with F. F. Blicke as the General Chair and Glenn E. Ullyot as the Program Chair. Symposia have subsequently been held regularly in alternate even-numbered years, always on a university campus. In 1968, the symposium assumed an international flavor, meeting at Laval University, Quebec, under joint sponsorship with the newly-formed Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Chemical Institute of Canada, and another joint symposium with this group was held at the University of Toronto in 1982.
From the earliest time of the Division's existence, it was recognized that an English language journal dedicated exclusively to medicinal chemistry research would be highly desirable. However, for some years it was questioned whether there was a constituency large enough to support such a publication. Many medicinal chemists had been publishing their work in the Journal of Organic Chemistry and in other "pure" chemistry journals, but editors of these serials became increasingly resistant to inclusion of results of pharmacological testing or discussions of structure-activity relationships. Some editors viewed medicinal chemistry research as "applied" rather than "basic" or "fundamental" chemistry. In the middle and late 1950's, there was increased discussion of the possibility of Divisional sponsorship of a medicinal chemistry research journal: a serial that would be on a scientific level with the pre-eminent journals in other specialized fields of chemistry. The Scientific Edition of the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association had for many years accepted medicinal chemistry papers, but only as a part of its coverage of all aspects of pharmacy-related research. In 1958-9, Divisional representatives requested an informal, off-the-record meeting with the editor of the Scientific Edition, to discuss the possibility and feasibility of the Division's participating in sponsorship and publication of the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition, with expansion of its coverage of medicinal chemistry-related research and the possibility of a shortening and/or changing the unwieldy name of the journal. The Division's request for such a meeting was rebuffed.
In 1959, there appeared the first issue of a commercially published serial, the Journal of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, edited jointly by Arnold H. Beckett (The Chelsea College of Science and Technology, London) and Alfred Burger (The University of Virginia). This physically small-sized journal appeared six times yearly. From its initial issue it attracted high quality research papers from prominent researchers in the international community but chiefly, from the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1960, the Division suggested and lobbied for A.C.S. participation in the publication of this journal, and Divisional representatives took an active role in exploratory discussions between the A.C.S. and the publisher. In 1962, the Journal of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry became an official publication of the American Chemical Society with Alfred Burger as the sole Editor. One year later, the name of the journal was changed to the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and its physical dimensions were expanded to approximate those of other A.C.S. serials. Editor Burger emphasized manuscript requirements of clear, concise, grammatically correct writing as well as high quality science. There was a rigorously enforced adherence to the established format for published papers. Philip S. Portoghese succeeded Professor Burger as Editor in 1972 and his title was changed to Editor-in-Chief in 1985. The administrative structure of the journal has evolved to include a group of Senior Editors, a Perspectives Editor, and a Book Review Editor (all under the Editor-in-Chief), reflecting the increasingly diverse informational role of the journal and the massive increase in the numbers and quality and diversity of submitted manuscripts. The number of yearly issues increased to twelve in 1971, and to twenty six in 1992. The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is universally recognized as the premier publication in medicinal chemistry research in the world. Professor Portoghese's twenty seven plus years in command must approach a longevity record for A.C.S. publications, at least in contemporary times.
Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry first appeared as a Divisional publication in 1966. The series owes its existence, in large measure, to the efforts of the late C. K. ("Neil") Cain, who served as the Editor-in-Chief for the first six years. Dr. Cain visualized an annual publication consisting of short chapters describing and referencing recent developments and advances in the broadest variety of areas of medicinal chemistry, to be written by investigators active in and cognizant with the subject of their chapter. Annual Reports was to be a paperback book and authors were to submit their manuscripts camera-ready, to minimize publication time and cost. Every member of the Medicinal Chemistry Division receives a copy of Annual Reports as a perquisite to membership. It was emphasized that Section Editors and authors (as well as the publisher) adhere rigorously to time deadlines to assure that the volume would be in the hands of readers each year in mid to late September. Only once in the 34 years of its existence has the distribution of Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry been delayed (to the great and extremely vocal consternation of readers). This review of research and discoveries in medicinal chemistry is recognized as the most significant of its kind.
Consistent with activities in other special interest divisions of the A.C.S., the Divisional membership favored establishment of some form of formal recognition of outstanding contributions to medicinal chemistry. The Division established two awards (each being given in alternate years), honoring outstanding medicinal chemists. The first Division of Medicinal Chemistry Award was presented in 1966 to Professor Bernard R. Baker at the Biennial Medicinal Chemistry Symposium held at Indiana University. The roster of subsequent recipients of this award includes two Nobel laureates. A second Divisional award, the Bristol Myers Squibb Award, was named in honor of the late Edward E. Smissman, and was first presented in 1975 to Professor Corwin Hansch. With perhaps a single exception (Editor's Note: J.G.C. was the 1997 recipient.), this award also displays a roster of distinguished recipients. A more recently established award, the Alfred Burger Award, also recognizes outstanding achievement by medicinal chemists and its title honors a distinguished elder statesman of medicinal chemistry. (The Burger Award is administered by the A.C.S.).
In 1968, the Division established a Public Affairs Committee, with Dr. Glen Ullyot as its first Chair. This the committee has been vigorous in monitoring federal and state governmental activities which affect medicinal chemistry, informing the Divisional membership of these matters, and in recommending appropriate Divisional (and individual members') responses. Divisional representatives have testified and supplied information and scientific expertise before committees of the congress.
Illustrative of its concern for the future of medicinal chemistry, the Division (through the generosity of several industrial sponsors) in 1990 initiated an on-going program of awarding of predoctoral graduate fellowships to a limited number of outstanding applicants. This most successful program compliments the student travel grant program which enables graduate students to present results of their research at a national A.C.S. meetings or at the national symposium. Traditionally, these students are also guests at an awards luncheon hosted by Divisional officers and also attended by recipients of other Divisional research awards.
In the earlier years, membership and leadership in the Division was limited almost exclusively to the male gender. However, after World War II, with more women pursuing careers in chemistry, Divisional membership began to include significant numbers of women, and women began to assume leadership roles. In 1977 Dr. Barbara Roth was elected Divisional Chair (the first woman to occupy this office), after having served in other Divisional offices. Currently, the Division lists a sizeable number of women members, with several serving or having served as Divisional officers and as committee chairs. It is anticipated and hoped that the numbers of women chemists actively participating and leading in the affairs of the Division will continue to increase.
The Division of Medicinal Chemistry is now one of the largest special interest divisions of the A.C.S., with a membership of well over 10,000, including a sizeable number of chemists from many foreign countries.
The author acknowledges with thanks the contribution of Ms. Cheryl A. Vockins of the ACS Records Office and Ms. Michele Gandy of the Office of Divisional Affairs who were most helpful in supplying information on the early days of the Division.