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Society to endow the first award. In accepting the stock, the board of directors requested permission of
Nichols to name the award "The Nichols Medal of the New York Section." Since the first award on January 9, 1903, the American Chemical Society's New York Section has named 97 Nichols Medalists. Sixteen have subsequently been awarded the
94:, helped organize the merger of 12 companies in 1899 to create General Chemical. Under his leadership, the company grew its asset base and increased its earnings threefold, making Nichols a force in America’s fledgling chemical industry. During World War I, he served as chairman of the Chemicals Committee of the
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is given each year by the New York
Section of the American Chemical Society. Nichols himself first established an award in 1902, making it the first gold medal for original chemical research. In June of that year, he gave 10 shares of preferred stock in General Chemical to the American Chemical
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The success of
Nichols' companies can be traced to several notable principles that guided his career. First was his deep belief in research and development. Second was his support for science education and the students of chemistry. Third was his concern for the welfare of his employees. Most
113:. His original plant along the Newtown Creek in Queens is infamous for its legacy of pollution. Nichols is rumored to have once emptied vats of excess sulfuric acid into the creek rather than sell it cheaply to a businessman he had no respect for.
82:(Sc.D., 1921). He married Hannah W. Bensel of Brooklyn on February 14, 1873. The couple had three children: William Henry Jr., born in 1874, Charles Walter, born in 1875, and Madeleine, born in 1884.
30:(January 9, 1852 – February 21, 1930) was an American chemist and businessman. He was instrumental in building the chemical supply business in the U.S. The specialty materials business of
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in 1920. Nichols and Meyer combined five smaller chemical companies to create the Allied
Chemical & Dye Corporation, which later became Allied Chemical Corp., and eventually became part of
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Initially, the medal award consisted of just the 18 carat gold
Nichols Medal, whose design depicts the allegorical figure of Dr. Faust in his laboratory as described by
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William Henry
Nichols was born in Brooklyn on January 9, 1852. He was the son of George Henry and Sarah Elizabeth (Harris) Nichols. William H. Nichols attended the
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from 1865 to 1868. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the New York
University in 1870 and 1873 respectively. Nichols also received honorary degrees from
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172:. A bronze replica of the medal, to be used for display purposes, was later added to the award. There is also a cash award.
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important was his often quoted belief that "the Golden Rule is as applicable in business as it is in church."
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248:"William H. Nichols Dies im Honolulu: Industrial Chemist, Banker and Educator Here, Succumbs to Heart Disease"
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branch of the society gives a prestigious award every year that is named after him, the
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It is this legacy of
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200:. Vol. 13. Chicago, Illinois: A. N. Marquis & Company. p. 2396
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company he started in 1870. Nichols was one of the original founders of the
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78:(Sc.D., 1920), the New York University (LL.D., 1920), and
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Polytechnic
Institute of New York University alumni
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The
Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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320:New York Section of the American Chemical Society
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42:, serving as president in 1918 and 1919. The
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229:. Vol. 11, no. 11. p. 1006
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307:. Who's Who in Finance Inc. p.
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136:. He died on February 21, 1930, in
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276:"Burial Search: William H Nichols"
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304:Who's who in Finance and Banking
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257:. February 23, 1930. p. 30
192:Marquis, Albert Nelson (1924).
23:Portrait of William H. Nichols.
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278:. The Green-Wood Historic Fund
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158:William H. Nichols Medal Award
144:in Brooklyn on March 9, 1930.
140:. Nichols was interred at the
64:Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute
48:William H. Nichols Medal Award
34:traces its roots back a small
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333:Honeywell Specialty Materials
316:, entry on William H. Nichols
301:John William Leonard (1922).
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116:He became a commander of the
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120:in 1912 and a knight of the
90:Nichols, along with his son
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118:Order of the Crown of Italy
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343:List of Nichols Medalists
338:American Chemical Society
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40:American Chemical Society
1298:, President Elect (2025)
194:"Nichols, William Henry"
76:University of Pittsburgh
295:Harvard Business School
1176:William F. Carroll Jr.
1036:Warren D. Niederhauser
869:Clifford F. Rassweiler
416:Samuel William Johnson
111:Morristown, New Jersey
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1260:Bonnie A. Charpentier
1218:Bassam Z. Shakhashiri
1018:Albert C. Zettlemoyer
923:Charles G. Overberger
672:George D. Rosengarten
571:William F. Hillebrand
28:William Henry Nichols
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1182:Elizabeth Ann Nalley
607:Theodore W. Richards
198:Who's Who in America
1296:Dorothy J. Phillips
1248:Allison A. Campbell
965:Bernard S. Friedman
792:W. Albert Noyes Jr.
756:William Lloyd Evans
601:Arthur Dehon Little
470:Charles F. Chandler
434:Charles F. Chandler
313:applegarth nichols.
219:Weidlein, Edward R.
142:Green-Wood Cemetery
74:(LL.D., 1904), the
68:Columbia University
52:New York University
1236:Diane Grob Schmidt
1078:S. Allen Heininger
1048:George C. Pimentel
905:Maurice H. Arveson
875:John C. Bailar Jr.
851:Joel H. Hildebrand
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810:Ernest H. Volwiler
774:Thomas Midgley Jr.
732:Edward R. Weidlein
702:Lawrence V. Redman
655:James Flack Norris
643:Edward C. Franklin
625:William H. Nichols
589:Wilder D. Bancroft
565:Francis P. Venable
488:George C. Caldwell
452:Albert B. Prescott
428:Frederick A. Genth
388:Presidents of the
255:The New York Times
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1152:Attila E. Pavlath
1066:Clayton F. Callis
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863:Roger J. Williams
798:Charles A. Thomas
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577:Marston T. Bogert
559:Arthur Amos Noyes
524:William McMurtrie
512:Charles E. Munroe
506:Charles B. Dudley
410:J. Lawrence Smith
221:(November 1919).
132:Nichols lived in
92:C. Walter Nichols
86:Chemical business
72:Lafayette College
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1254:Peter K. Dorhout
1230:Thomas J. Barton
1212:Nancy B. Jackson
1206:Joseph Francisco
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988:Glenn T. Seaborg
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613:Charles H. Herty
518:Edward W. Morley
500:Edgar Fahs Smith
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899:Henry Eyring
893:Karl Folkers
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107:AlliedSignal
103:Eugene Meyer
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1323:1930 deaths
1318:1852 births
1030:Fred Basolo
953:Max Tishler
720:Roger Adams
163:Nobel Prize
1312:Categories
1272:H.N. Cheng
547:Ira Remsen
282:2024-02-13
261:2024-02-12
233:2024-02-12
204:2024-02-13
176:References
128:Later life
981:1976–2000
820:1951–1975
665:1926–1950
534:1901–1925
397:1876–1900
134:Manhattan
124:in 1920.
32:Honeywell
138:Honolulu
44:New York
1144:present
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348:Photo
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