The Faces of CAS: Past and Present

For the past century, Chemical Abstracts Service has benefited from the talents of thousands of dedicated people. In the early days, volunteers were responsible for much of the abstracting. In this special feature, several of those volunteers look back and share their experiences working with CAS.

As time passed and CAS grew, it phased out working with volunteer abstractors and began to rely on a permanent staff in Columbus, Ohio. Database building was in its infancy, but CAS was at the forefront in this field. Several retirees from this period have generously shared reminiscences of their careers at CAS and the growth of this information powerhouse.

Today, about 1,300 people work at CAS. Some have said the mixture of languages and cultures found on the CAS staff remind them of the United Nations. Current staffers from editorial operations, information technology, finance, and marketing told C&EN Online why they see CAS as their professional home and, in many instances, their colleagues as their extended families.

An organization is only as good as its people. And the success of CAS? People have made it possible.