The Anna J. Harrison Award was established by the Connecticut Valley Section of the ACS to recognize women at the Annual CVSACS Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) for best poster and best short talk.

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• Sponsor - Connecticut Valley Section - American Chemical Society

• Purpose - To recognize female undergraduate students for best poster and best short talk

• Nature - The award consists of $xxx and a certificate.

• Eligibility - Undergraduate students presenting at the Annual CVSACS Undergraduate Research Symposium. Awards are provided during the yearly event. An undergraduate recipient may only receive the Anna J. Harrison Award to reflect their undergraduate studies.

• Application - TBD

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Anna Jane Harrison (1912 - 1998)

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Anna J. Harrison was born December 23, 1912, in Benton City, MO; she attended University of Columbia, Missouri, receiving her PhD in 1940. Anna taught chemistry at H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, the women's college of Tulane University from 1940 to 1945. In 1945 Harrison joined the chemistry department at Mount Holyoke College focusing on the structure of organic compounds and their interaction with light, particularly in the ultraviolet and far ultraviolet bands. She retired from Mount Holyoke College in 1979, having served as chair from 1960 - 1966. Anna Harrison became the first female president of the American Chemical Society (1978) and president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1983).

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During World War II, she conducted research on toxic smoke for the National Defense Research Committee, the A.J. Griner Co. in Kansas City, MO and Corning Glass Works, Corning, NY. Her work was instrumental in the creation of smoke-detecting field kits for the United States Army and received the Frank Forrest Award from the American Ceramic Society for her efforts. After her retirement from Mount Holyoke, she taught at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis MD.

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As an educator and researcher, Harrison worked with many scientific organizations in the United States, particularly the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of American Colleges, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the Education Commission of the States, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the Manufacturing Chemists' Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council, the National Science Board, and the National Science Foundation. She wrote articles for the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Chemical & Engineering News, and Encyclopaedia Britannica. She co-authored a textbook, Chemistry, A Search to Understand, with fellow Mount Holyoke College educator Edwin S. Weaver.

 

As an international leader in chemical education, Dr Harrison viewed chemical profession as fundamental to the improvement of science education, public awareness of science, and public welfare. Active nationally and internationally as a supporter of women in science. Dr. Harrison was celebrated for inspiring numerous young women to pursue careers in science.

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References:

ACS President: Anna Jane Harrison (1912 - 1998), American Chemical Society

https://www.acs.org/about/president/acspresidents/anna-harrison.html

Anna J. Harrison, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_J._Harrison

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