80 Years of Supporting the Chemical Sciences: A History of the Foundation

The 80th anniversary of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation gives us a wonderful opportunity to revisit the major milestones in the Foundation’s history. What started as a tribute to one brother from the other has evolved into one of the world’s most respected private foundations committed wholly to the chemical sciences across the US.

Setting the Foundation apart from the very beginning, it invested in people. The Foundation created programs to help fund those who were devoted to the chemical sciences themselves: young faculty beginning their academic careers, established scientists pursuing innovation, and gifted teachers inspiring the next generation. Today, the names Camille and Henry Dreyfus appear on laboratories, research buildings, lecture halls, endowed professorships, and distinguished lectureships across North America and Europe.

To date, the Foundation has given nearly $200 million to support the chemical sciences through thousands of grants. Below we give an overview of some of these efforts.

If you missed part one, which tells the story of the lives, scientific research, and business successes of the Foundation’s namesakes, Camille and Henry Dreyfus, it can be found here: https://www.dreyfus.org/the-story-of-the-dreyfus-brothers/

Defining Devotion – to Each Other and the Chemical Sciences

In addition to sharing keen intellect and many accomplishments, Camille and Henry Dreyfus also shared a strong bond of brotherhood. In 1946, shortly after Henry’s death, Camille established the Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., in his honor.

Explaining in a letter to the founding and future members of the Foundation, Camille said: “Henry was to me my loyal, true, and dearly beloved brother.” He felt it was his “sacred duty” to preserve his brother’s memory and appropriate to endow the Foundation “in large measure from the art which [Henry] did so much to build up.” In addition to using his inheritance from Henry, Camille funded the Foundation with all monies due to himself from British Celanese Limited. After Camille’s death in 1956, the Foundation’s name was changed to the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, preserving the legacy of both brothers in perpetuity.

As stated in the Foundation’s original certificate of incorporation, the overall purpose of the Foundation was “To advance the science of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related sciences as a means of improving human relations and circumstances throughout the world.” This mission has guided over eight decades of support to researchers, academic institutions, and science-focused organizations across the US.

By funding the quest for knowledge and creating opportunities for innovation and discovery, the Foundation carries forward the spirit of Camille and Henry.

Pioneering Presidents

Leadership has shaped the Foundation’s story and only five presidents have been at the helm of the organization. Camille Dreyfus (1946-1956) served as the first, followed by Jean Tennyson Dreyfus (1956-1991), whose thirty-five-year presidency established the Foundation as a trusted champion of scientific excellence and expanded its influence.

Successive presidents include Dorothy Dinsmoor (1991-2009), who modernized the Foundation by broadening support for young faculty and researchers, and under whose leadership debuted the prestigious Dreyfus Prize; Henry C. Walter (2009-2020), who helped position the Foundation to support emerging areas of chemical science in the 21^st century; and, the current president, H. Scott Walter, who has expanded several Foundation initiatives, including the Teacher-Scholar Awards, the Jean Dreyfus Lectureship, and the Dreyfus Prize.

All of these remarkable leaders have preserved Camille’s vision while adapting the Foundation’s programs to the changing landscape of research and education. Their guidance has ensured that the Foundation remains both faithful to its original mission and responsive to new scientific frontiers.

The Foundation’s Musical Connection

Jean Tennyson Dreyfus, the American soprano, patron of the arts, and Camille’s wife, served as president of the Foundation until her death in 1991. Mrs. Dreyfus sang with leading opera companies, including La Scala in Milan, the Chicago Civic Opera, and the San Francisco Opera Company. In the 1940s, she also sang on the CBS Radio program “Great Moments in Music”. Her philanthropic efforts beyond her seat on the Foundation Board include founding the Artists Veteran Hospital Programs of the Musicians Emergency Fund, presenting concerts for patients. She served as a patron of the Philharmonic Society of New York and as vice chairman of New York City’s Lewsohn Stadium Concerts. She was also a trustee of the New York City Opera and a principal supporter of the Spoleto Festival. Her awards include the Stella della Solidarieta from the Italian government, recognizing expatriates or foreigners who made an outstanding contribution to the reconstruction of Italy after World War II; the St. Olaf Medal from the King of Norway, conferred for advancing knowledge of Norway abroad; and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Vermont.

Since 2000, the Foundation has brought notable researchers in the chemical sciences to undergraduate institutions through the Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions Program, named in her memory.

A History of Support for People

The Dreyfus brothers love for chemistry is reflected in the Foundation’s grantmaking efforts, with a focus on supporting those who share that same devotion. Early grants included undergraduate and graduate scholarship support, and money to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Starting in the 1970s, new programs were started to support early-career faculty. The long running New Faculty Award Program (1979-2008) and Faculty Start-Up Awards Program (1993-2008) provided unrestricted research grants to help launch the careers of almost 500 young researchers. On the other end of the spectrum, the Senior Scientist Mentor Program (2000-2016) supported 160 emeritus faculty members to take on undergraduates to do research under their guidance.

As Mrs. Dreyfus noted about her late-husband Camille: “He was always interested in the young people and at the end of his life, remarked that he would like a few more years to devote himself to chemistry and spend his time among the young scientists who, he said, amazed him by their great knowledge, enthusiasm, and curiosity.”

The Flagship Teacher-Scholar Program

No program is as emblematic of the Foundation and its dedication to supporting people as the Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards, which are still granted annually. Since the establishment of the program in 1970, the Foundation has identified generations of exceptional young scientists, providing unrestricted research support and nationwide recognition at a pivotal time in their careers.

In 1993, the program was split into two parts, each honoring one of the Foundation’s namesakes. The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Awards focuses on early-career faculty at Ph.D.-granting institutions, while the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards centers on young researchers at primarily undergraduate institutions.

During the almost six decades of the program, the Foundation has named more than one thousand Teacher-Scholars, representing a wide variety of subdisciplines, US states, and backgrounds.

Joining Forces with the American Chemical Society

In 1993, the Foundation partnered with the American Chemical Society (ACS) to establish two National Awards that still honor dedicated chemists today. The Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences recognizes significant accomplishments by individuals who have stimulated or fostered the interest of women in chemistry, promoting their professional development as chemists or chemical engineers. The Award for Encouraging Underrepresented and Economically Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences recognizes significant accomplishments by individuals in stimulating students, underrepresented in the profession, to elect careers in the chemical sciences and engineering. Every year the Foundation attends the Spring ACS Meeting in order to celebrate the winners at the National Award Banquet.

In 1999, the Foundation again partnered with ACS to support undergraduates through the ACS Scholars Program (now the ACS Scholarship Program). To date, the Foundation has supported the education of more than 100 students through more than one million dollars in funding. Many of these students have gone on to win Teacher-Scholar Awards from the Foundation, showing the immense talent of these recipients.

The Foundation’s Highest Honor

The Foundation also celebrates scientific achievement at the highest level through the Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences, honoring researchers whose work has fundamentally advanced the chemical sciences. Awarded biennially since 2009, the Prize honors transformative achievements in a selected area of the chemical sciences and consists of a substantial monetary award, a medal, and a public lecture to highlight the recipient’s contributions. Past Prize topics include materials chemistry, catalysis, chemical instrumentation, and polymer chemistry. Recipients represent the breadth and vitality of contemporary chemistry, reflecting the Foundation’s continuing commitment to recognizing discoveries that change both science and society.

Endowed Professorships

Through its 80-year history, the Foundation has endowed chairs and named professorships at universities representing the best of the best in the chemical sciences. Every endowment stands as testimony to the Foundation’s philosophy that lasting progress grows from investing in talented people and providing them the freedom to pursue their most imaginative ideas. Included in the Foundation’s notable endowments are the Camille Dreyfus Professorship in Chemistry at MIT (established in 1964), the Camille Dreyfus Professorship in Chemistry (established in 1984) and the Henry Dreyfus Professorship in Chemistry (established in 2015) at Stanford University, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professorship at Rockefeller University (established in 1986), and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professorship at North Carolina State University (established in 2009).

Targeting Need with Specialized Programs

For the Foundation, a retired program rarely means the end. In its 80-year history, the Foundation has launched a number of targeted grant programs to address emerging needs in the chemical sciences, and when their job is done, they are retired from the Foundation’s programs. Retirement often means one of three things: the program met its goals, priorities in the world of chemistry shifted, or new funding mechanisms were deemed to have greater impact.

One particularly significant example is the Environmental Chemistry Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (1996-2017), which seeded the environmental chemistry field by funding 171 post-docs. Throughout its long history, programs such as the Innovation in Education in Chemistry Program (1975-1978), Chemical Informatics (1993-1995), Machine Learning in the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Program (2020-2022), Chemistry Shorts® program (2019-2025), and the Supplemental Grants for Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholars Program (2025) have provided agile support that reflects the needs of the times.

For the many other initiatives in the chemical sciences that did not fall into the category of other established Foundation programs, the Special Grant Program provided flexible support. Since 1946 until today, the program has made more than 1,800 of these grants, funding a wide variety of projects benefitting institutions from museums to classrooms.

Every program has helped support the work of those advancing the science of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related sciences…and has furthered the Dreyfus brothers’ belief that chemistry is an instrument of global progress.

Early Support for Research Facilities

In 1961, the Foundation made a large grant to fund the creation of a polymer chemistry program as part of the establishment of Research Triangle Institute (RTI), a part of the now world-famous Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, NC. The grant supported the construction a cutting-edge polymer chemistry laboratory building, scientific equipment and supplies, and the salaries of research staff. The Camille Dreyfus Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry at RTI became one of the leading US centers for research on polymers. Although the original laboratory building was decommissioned and demolished, its legacy continues through RTI’s ongoing world-class research programs and in the name of the Camille Dreyfus Auditorium on campus.

The Camille Edouard Dreyfus Chemistry Building at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology stands as one of the most recognizable monuments to the legacy of Camille and Henry Dreyfus. Designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, the imposing concrete building features a dramatic overhang, called a cantilever, that seems to float above the pavement. It was built with combined grants from the Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and other donors. At the time of its dedication in 1970, it served as the headquarters for the university’s department of chemistry and laboratories for graduate and postdoctoral chemists conducting research in organic, bio-organic, and biophysical chemistry. Today, the building continues that tradition housing an extensive number of state-of-the-art major analytical instruments that support ongoing research programs in chemistry.

Connecting to the Brothers’ Home

The Foundation’s logo, first used in the 1960s, draws inspiration from the Bishop’s Crozier of Basel, the symbol of the city in Switzerland the Dreyfus brothers called home. While it has taken different forms throughout the Foundation’s history, the unique mark highlights a connection to the city that continues to the present day.

Since 2013, the annual Camille and Henry Dreyfus Lectureship at the University of Basel memorializes the Dreyfus brothers who both received their PhDs there (Camille in 1901 and Henry in 1905). It provides the means for the University to bring leading U.S.-based scientists in chemistry and the chemical sciences to its campus, thus enhancing the relationship of Swiss and U.S. science. Immediately outside the auditorium where the lectureship takes place, a display with historical items belonging to the Dreyfus brothers can be seen.

Conclusion

A look back on the people supported by the Foundation reveals individuals that can be defined without hyperbole as dedicated leaders, pioneering researchers, inspiring teachers, and generations of curious students whose discoveries have spanned from the molecular world to global challenges. Through the Foundation’s awards, professorships, laboratories, lectureships, and unwavering belief in the power of chemistry, the Foundation has helped shape the course of scientific discovery for eighty years, leaving a legacy that continues to grow with every new generation of chemists.

80 Years of Supporting the Chemical Sciences: The Story of the Dreyfus Brothers

The 80th anniversary of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation provides a unique opportunity to share the story of the Dreyfus brothers and their continuing impact, not only through the Foundation’s ongoing work to support the chemical sciences, but through their own innovations and advances in chemistry.

We invite you to look back with us, before the birth of the Foundation 80 years ago, and learn about the lives of two brothers, Camille and Henry Dreyfus.

Part two is now published and revisits the major milestones in the Foundation’s history. it can be found here: https://www.dreyfus.org/a-history-of-the-foundation/

Born at a Time of Rapid Transformation

Camille (1878-1956) and Henry (1882-1944) were born to Jewish parents, Abraham and Henrietta Dreyfus. The Dreyfus family lived in Basel, Switzerland, known as the global center of the dye industry, and Abraham was a banker involved in the chemical industry.

The brothers were born during a time characterized by major changes in geopolitics, technology, and culture. The balance of world powers had begun to shift after the Franco-Prussian War, the American Civil War, and the creation of Germany. The Industrial Age had begun in earnest. Inventions like the telephone, phonograph, and lightbulb, and an explosive growth of the railroad network, pushed many parts of the world into a new era that Mark Twain defined as The Gilded Age.

Education and Interest in Cellulose Acetate

Against this transformative backdrop, Camille and Henry attended the University of Basel. In 1901 and 1904, respectively, they earned their PhDs in chemistry with the highest honors. The brothers later studied at the École de Pharmacie at the Sorbonne in Paris. There, they became fascinated with a little-understood material called cellulose acetate, derived from wood pulp, and its potential application across many fields.

They knew that cellulose acetate could be leveraged optimally only if they could develop a process to manufacture it commercially. They began experimenting in a small laboratory in the backyard garden belonging to their father, Despite limited resources, the brothers were brimming with enthusiasm, conducting more than 20,000 experiments between 1910 and 1921. As Camille would later say, “I saw the adventure of finding out new things.”

Early Breakthroughs

Those experiments eventually yielded extraordinary results. First was a process for manufacturing nonflammable acetate-based film, which represented a staggering leap ahead for the young photography and motion-picture industries. Until the brothers introduced their invention, the industry was using cellulose nitrate film, which would often burst into flames and seriously injure projectionists working in early movie houses. This new film was adopted widely by the burgeoning film industry, including Pathé Frères, the largest film equipment company in the world at the time. The first patent application by Camille was filed in 1911, but it would not be the last. Subsequently, more than 225 patents were issued to him, and more than 100 to Henry.

The brothers’ research fundamentally changed contemporary scientists’ understanding of cellulose acetate. They were the first to realize the importance of the acetyl content of cellulose acetate as it affects the properties of the material, and showed that viscosity, high tensile strength, and elasticity are complementary. They also discovered how to avoid cellulose degradation, long before the polymeric nature of cellulose was discovered many years later.

With this new knowledge in hand, the brothers set their sights on something even bigger: the production of a cellulose acetate fiber. That dream was put on hold as the world entered a global conflict.

Contributions to the War Effort

Camille and Henry moved to London during World War I at the invitation of the British government, where their work on cellulose acetate production proved essential to the war effort. The material was uniquely suited for preserving the fabric of airplane wings, creating a coating called “acetate dope” that imbued the wings with critical characteristics: tautness, resilience, waterproofing, and nonflammability. During the war, aircraft used by England, France, Italy, and the US were all fortified by “dope” produced by the brothers in the factory they’d built in Spondon, England.

In 1917, US Secretary of War Newton Baker asked Camille and Henry to establish manufacturing in America. The brothers accepted the invitation and built the first commercial plant for producing cellulose acetate in Cumberland, Maryland. In recognition of their service, which saved the lives of countless pilots, France made both brothers officers of the Legion d’Honneur, the country’s most prestigious order of merit.

Perfecting a Synthetic Fabric

After the war, the brothers returned to the laboratory and continued their numerous experiments, refocusing on the production of synthetic fibers. They were certain, as Camille said, that “man could make a better fiber than nature.”

The journey toward success was met with many obstacles, but that did not deter the brothers. As Camille noted, “The more troubles we had, the more we were successful-because we grew up on troubles and had learned to master them.” The industry standard for spinning synthetic fibers at the time, “wet spinning,” could be improved, they thought. So, they invented an entirely new process. By spinning downwards from a multihole jet into narrow columns, it allowed a longer drying length of filament in the spinning machine and permitted the filaments to be taken outside the spinning columns when substantially dry, then wound on bobbins. Called “Downward dry spinning,” this new process made manufacturing faster and more cost-efficient. When the brothers realized this method could not be used in traditional knitting and weaving machinery, they built their own production equipment to support it.

One major obstacle remained: although the fibers could now be manufactured efficiently, they could not be dyed using conventional methods. With the aid of an army of experienced manufacturers as consultants, the brothers invented an entirely new series of insoluble dyes, finely dispersed in oil, which Henry called “one of the brightest pages in the history of the dyeing industry.” For his work on dyes, Henry was awarded the Perkin Research Medal in 1938, the highest honor from the Society of Dyers and Colourists of Great Britain. He accepted the Medal on behalf of both himself and his beloved brother Camille.

From these innovations, the brothers produced a synthetic silk which was non-flammable, dyeable, strong, and economical to produce. They named this brand-new material Celanese, a combination of cellulose and the feeling of comfort and ease one would have by wearing the fabric.

Later Years and Legacy

These efforts led to the birth of the Celanese Corporation in the 1920s, which manufactured and distributed Celanese around the world. Camille remained in the US to build the Celanese Corporation of America, housed at the Cumberland, Maryland plant, while Henry returned to England to run British Celanese Ltd.

Both brothers were involved in every element of the company, and Camille was known to be an especially talented marketer. He insisted on setting Celanese apart as a luxury fabric, distinguishing it from other synthetic fibers, including rayon, which were seen as cheap. He was often seen walking up Fifth Avenue to visit apparel buyers with a bundle of Celanese under his arm. The strategy proved remarkably successful. Today, Celanese Corporation has 25 production plants and six research centers in 11 countries, a testament to the success of the brothers’ pioneering scientific discoveries and sharp business acumen.

While the brothers remained physically separated for most of the rest of their lives, they were incredibly close and phoned each other daily. After Henry’s death in 1944, Camille established the Dreyfus Foundation as a memorial to his brother. The Foundation became a memorial to both men after Camille Dreyfus died in New York in 1956.

On June 25, 1946, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation was established! In celebration of our 80th anniversary, we have created a short video on the history of the Dreyfus Brothers and the creation of Foundation.

More content celebrating eight decades of supporting the chemical sciences will be released in the coming month, and we look forward to sharing it with you.