Celebrating Alfred Bader At 90

“Eighty years ago, when Alfred and I were in the same class in Vienna, I would never have imagined that he would become one of the great polymaths: scientist, yet religious; spectacular entrepreneur as well as even more spectacular philanthropist; sophisticated art dealer as well as major collector: all these boats sailing on a sea of chemistry!”

—Carl Djerassi, emeritus professor of chemistry, Stanford University

“The Bader Scholarship was instrumental in allowing me to put more emphasis on my classes instead of thinking of the financial burden I might be to my parents. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Bader, for investing in my education.”

—Anita Hurtado, former Bader Scholar, now associate director in the Supply-Chain Organization at Merck & Co.

“Alfred and Isabel Bader’s generosity has manifested itself at ACS in countless ways—and there are countless successful chemists who owe their careers to the investments that these two astonishing philanthropists made in Project SEED and the Bader Scholarships.”

—Madeleine Jacobs, ACS executive director and CEO

Aldrich Chemical Co.'s first chemical:

N-Methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, which was used in the preparation of diazomethane. MNNG was marketed through the company's first catalog, in 1951, a one-page document that grew to become the Aldrich Handbook. Sigma-Aldrich no longer sells MNNG, a potent mutagen and carcinogen.

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In addition to the Aldrich Handbook, Bader also started the journal Aldrichimica Acta, which focuses on organic chemistry research.

Credit: Sigma-Aldrich

"It would seem unlikely that any person could be a renowned authority on paintings and fine artworks, synthetic chemistry, science history, and running a major science-based corporation. But I can say, 'Yes, it's possible,' and that person is Alfred Bader."

—Elias J. Corey, emeritus professor of chemistry, Harvard University