Celebrating 75 Years of Success and Excellence
In 2022, the Puerto Rico Section celebrated 75 years of a successful journey, significantly impacting its members, the chemical industry, and the broader community. It continues to fulfill and advance its mission to improve the quality of life through the transformative power of chemistry.
Although the current Puerto Rico Section of the ACS has existed for 75 years since its founding in 1947, a prior Puerto Rico Section was established earlier. On April 25, 1927, a local chapter was formed and approved in Mayagüez. This chapter comprised 28 members, with Dr. Manuel A. del Valle as its first chair. However, it was dissolved on January 1, 1931, after failing to meet the required minimum membership for two consecutive years. Interestingly, the former Governor of Puerto Rico, Don Luis A. Ferré, was one of the 28 founding members of that initial Puerto Rico Section of the ACS.
Starting in March 1942, under the initiative of Mr. Leonardo Igaravídez, efforts began to gather the signatures necessary to form another Puerto Rico Section of the ACS, this time based in Río Piedras. On April 23, 1947, this chapter was officially established and approved, with Dr. Fritz Fromm, then director of the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Sagrado Corazón, serving as its first chair. Twenty-three chemists contributed to this local organizational effort under the American Chemical Society.
Thanks to the initiative of Mr. Igaravídez, Dr. Fromm, and the other founding members, the current section exists today. Its continuity has been made possible by the leadership and dedication of the following professionals who have served as presidents:
Year Chair
1947 Fritz Fromm
1948 Víctor Rodríguez-Benítez
1949 Isidoro A. Colón
1950 Juan D. Curet
1951 Manuel García Morín
1952 Angel A. Colón
1953 Carlos Vincenty
1954 Rafael Pol Méndez
1955 Conrado F. Asenjo
1956 Héctor Flores
1957 Marta Cancio Sifre
1958 Leo B. Lathroum
1959 Luis Amorós-Marín
1960 Herbert F. Wolf
1961 Edwin Roig
1962 Leopoldo R. Cerecedo
1963 F. C. Strong
1964 Harry H. Szmant
1965 Efraín Toro-Goyco
1966 Ferdinand Sánchez Nieva
1967 Gerardo R. Morell
1968 James S. Singmaster, III
1969 Rafael M. Infante
1970 Rafael M. Infante
1971 Ismael Almodóvar
1972 José R. Sánchez Caldas
1973 Owen H. Wheeler
1974 Myriam Vargas
1975 Waldemar Adam
1976 Waldemar Adam
1977 Gabriel A. Infante
1978 Arthur McB. Block
1979 Arnaldo Carrasquillo
1980 Gerald L. Larson
1981 Robert S. C. Tsai
1982 Alan M. Preston
1983 Carmen Lecumberry
1984 Faris Yany
1985 Josefina Arce
1986 Ram Lamba
1987 Fernando Souto
1988 Roberto Marrero
1989 Roberto Marrero
1990 José Zayas
1991 Lelimar Fuentes
1992 Rafael Infante
1993 Brad Weiner
1994 Mayra Cádiz
1995 Ingrid Montes González
1996 Carlos Cabrera
1997 Jorge L. Colón
1998 Ana R. Guadalupe
1999 Néstor Carballeira
2000 Gustavo Lopez
2001 Edwin Quiñones
2002 Enrique Meléndez
2003 Ingrid Montes González
2004 Elsie Parés
2005 Agnes Dubey
2006 Juan López Garriga
2007 Carmen Collazo de Velázquez
2008 Miguel Castro
2009 Raphael Raptis
2010 Nilka Rivera
2011 Ingrid Montes González
2012 Carlos Ruiz Martínez
2013 Ángela M. González Mederos
2014 Carlos J. Olivo Delgado
2015 Edmy Ferrer
2016 Brenda Ramos
2017 José Ramírez Domenech
2018 Carlos Cabrera
2019 Ángela M. González Mederos
2020 Myrna Otaño-Vega
2021 Mitk’El Santiago Berrios
2022 Ingrid Montes González
2023 Ramonita Díaz Ayala
2024 Lisandro Cunci
2025 David J.Sanabria Ríos
🔬 El Rol de la Química en la Agricultura llega al Centro de Estudiantes de la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Fajardo, para inspirarte, educarte y conectarte con el mundo real de la ciencia.