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The Birth of the ALCA
The birth of the ALCA was not a sudden phenomenon. A group of leather
chemists met at the annual convention of the Association of Official
Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) in 1893. Their sole concern was to find an
accurate method for analyzing the tanning extracts used in the industry.
Extracts were often altered by traders or experimented with by tanners.
Thus, commercial interests — and not purely scientific pursuits —
sparked the initial banding together of leather chemists.
These chemists did devise a method of measuring the amount of tanning
material absorbed by dried, ground hide. Modifications in this method
were made over the next several years and interest in the problem of
tannin analysis was very high. In 1897 by-laws were written and officers
elected for a leather chemists’ association, but the effort died and the
group continued to meet as an unofficial part of the AOAC, though few
leather chemists were actually members of this larger group. By 1903 the
leather chemists again felt the need for their own organization. Nine of
them decided to form the ALCA on November 22 of that year.
President Kerr later summarized the early years in a letter to Dr. H. G.
Turley: “The organization of the ALCA in 1903 was the outcome of a
decade of sustained effort by a small group of young technological
chemists to establish reliable analytical methods for determining the
commercial value of all description of materials employed in the
manufacture of leather, and to introduce scientific methods of tannery
plant control. As late as 1895 there was practically no recognized
leather trades chemistry as such in this country; only a few tanners
employed chemists in their plants and most of the analytical work called
for was done by general analysis in the laboratories of those dealers in
chemicals or dyestuffs who had taken on representations for tanning
materials. It would be difficult for the members of the ALCA today to
visualize the bitter disputes and the wrangling between chemists, to say
nothing of the verbal abuse heaped upon the devoted heads of the
pioneers of leather chemistry in the middle and late nineties and for
many years later for that matter.”
Taken from “Seventy-five Years of ALCA Meeting,” Published for the 1979
Meeting of the American Leather Chemists’ Association, Written and
Edited by Scott D. Fields with Special Thanks to John J. Moynihan and
The Leather Manufacturer, and Published at the Direction of the ALCA
Council, William E. Dooley, President; James M. Constantin,
President-Elect; William T. Roddy, Secretary-Treasurer; Councilors,
Stephen M. Feairheller, Thomas E. Greene, Bruce D. Miller, John J.
Moynihan, and Richard G. Waite.
Leadership of the ALCA
Our Past Presidents:
G. A. Kerr
W. H. Teas
H. C. Reed
J. H. Yocum
F. H. Small
H. T. Wilson
J. H. Russell
F. P. Veitch
W. K. Alsop
L. E. Levi
C. R. Oberfell
R. W. Griffith
C. C. Smoot, III
J. S. Rogers
Lloyd Balderston J. A. Wilson
R. W. Frey
G. D. McLaughlin
Fred O’Flaherty
A. C. Orthmann
H. B. Merrill
V. J. Mlejnek
J. H. Highberger
Dean Williams
T. F. Oberlander
A. H. Winheim
R. M. Koppenhoefer
H. G. Turley
E. S. Flinn
E. B. Thorstensen
M. Maeser
R. G. Henrich
Robert Stubbings
Dominic Meo, Jr.
R. M. Lollar
B. A. Grota
Malcolm H. Battles
Joseph Naghski
T. C. Thorstensen
Jean J. Tancous
William E. Dooley
James M. Constantin
Lawrence K. Barber
Jean J. Tancous
William C. Prentiss
Stephen H. Feairheller
Marcel Siegler
Frank H. Rutland
David G. Bailey
Russell A Launder
Bruce Miller
Gary W. Hanson
Douglas G. Morrison
Robert F. White
Elton L. Hurlow
Maryann M. Taylor
Jerome F. Levy
Dean T. Didato
Rodney Hammond
Douglas G. Morrison
W. Nathan Mullinix
Dennis C. Shelly
William N. Marmer
Stephen S. Yanek
David Leblanc
Craig Glover Keyser
Andreas Rhein
JOHN ARTHUR WILSON
MEMORIAL LECTURE
In 1959 Salem Oil & Grease Company celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
During the years of its existence, the major part of the company’s
business had been in developing and supplying products used by the
leather industry. The Directors of the company felt that the industry
had been good to them and wished to show their appreciation by
establishing and financing a memorial lecture to be given at each Annual
Meeting of the ALCA. The memorial lecture was designated as The John
Arthur Wilson Memorial Lecture as a memorial to Dr. John Arthur Wilson,
with Salem Oil & Grease Company sponsoring the lecture through 2003.
The subject of the lecture is to cover the general field of theoretical
or applied leather technology or in closely related fields. A minimum of
one (1) hour is typically allowed for the presentation of this lecture
and subsequent discussion at the association’s annual convention.
Following convention, the lecture is published in “The Journal of the
American Leather Chemists Association” for viewing by the membership and
subscribers.
With the sale of Salem Oil & Grease’s business in 2003, Stahl USA has
generously agreed to continue to sponsor this industry coveted lecture
at future ALCA conventions. The association remains indebted to both
Salem Oil & Grease Company and Stahl USA with regard to past and future
sponsorship of the lecture series.
John Arthur Wilson
Memorial Lecturers:
1960 - John Highberger
1961 - Marcel Riviere
1962 - Harold G. Turley
1963 - Mieth Maeser
1964 - Bruce Bare
1965 - Hans Herfeld
1966 - Harry Bradley
1967 - G. N. Ramachandran
1968 - Mary Dempsey
1969 - Walter L. Abel
1970 - Joseph Naghski
1971 - Robert L. Sykes
1972 - Peter J. van Vlimmeren
1973 - Stanley G. Shuttleworth
1974 - Dominic Meo, Jr.
1975 - Jean T. Tancous
1976 - Peter J. van Vlimmeren
1977 - Robert M. Lollar
1978 - Wilfried Diebschlag
1979 - John Sharphouse
1980 - Bernard Vulliermet
1981 - Neville P. Slabbert
1982 - J. Graham Butlin
1983 - Eckhart Heidemann
1984 - Betty M. Haines
1985 - Stephen H. Feairheller
1986 - Lieselotte Feikes
1987 - Alberto Simoncini
1988 - Kenneth T. W. Alexander
1989 - Rudolph D. Deanin
1990 - Krysztof J. Bienkiewicz
1991 - Catherine A. Money
1992 - Wilhelm Pauckner
1993 - Hubert M. Wachsmann
1994 - Hugo Springer
1995 - Frank H. Rutland
1996 - Tilman L. Taeger
1997 - Heinz-Peter Germann
1998 - Anthony D. Covington
1999 – Max May
2000 – Reg H. Hankey
2001 – T. Ramasami
2002 – Roy S. Thomson
2003 – David G. Bailey
2004 – Jaume Cot
2005 – Harro Traeubel
2006 – Rainer Dorstewitz
2007 – Richard P. Daniels
2008 – Bi Shi
2009 – Eleanor M. Brown
2010 – Jose M. Adzet
2011 – David Rabinovich
2012 – Anthony D. Covington
RECIPIENTS OF THE ALSOP
AWARD
The ALSOP Award,
established by Council in 1939, is in memory of the late W. K. Alsop.
Tannin Corporation generously donated an annual prize to be awarded
for outstanding scientific or technical contributions to the leather
industry from its inception until 2008. The ALCA itself sponsored this award
from 2008 until 2011 at which time the LANXESS Corporation became the
new official sponsor of this award.
First consideration for the prize is given to active members
of ALCA, and to work published or accomplished within the previous
twelve months. Work published within the previous three calendar years
may be considered if no work especially of recognition has been
published within the previous twelve months.
1939 - B.A. Schiller
1940 - E.E. Doherty
1941 - R.M. Koppenhoefer
1942 - R.W. Frey
1943 - F. O’Flaherty
1944 - W.E. Emely
1945 - M. Maeser
1946 - H.G. Turley
1947 - F.O. Schmitt
1948 - D. Williams
1949 - not given
1950 - I.C. Somerville
1951 - not given
1952 - J.R. Kanagy
1953 - H.B. Merrill
1954 - R. M. Lollar
1955 - Jerome S. Rogers
1956 - John H. Highberger
1957 - Wm. T. Roddy
1958 - Robert Subbings
1959 - James M. Cassel
1960 - Edw. M Filachione
1961 - Wallace Windus
1962 - Jean J. Tancous
1963 - not given
1964 - Edw. F. Mellon
1965 - not given
1966 - Ludwig Seligsberger
1967 - Clara L. Deasy
1968 - Joseph Naghski
1969 - N. C. Benrud
1970 - Shu Tung Tu
1971 - Thomas Thorstensen
1972 - Alfred L. Everett
1973 - Stephen Feairheler
1974 - not given
1975 - Ross G. Donovan
1976 - William C. Prentiss
1977 - not given
1978 - not given
1979 - Clinton Retzsch
1980 - Stephen A. Shivas
1981 - James Constantin
1982 - Peter R. Buechler
1983 - not given
1984 - David G. Bailey
1985 - Waldo E. Kallenberger
1986 - Marcel Siegler
1987 - Michael Komanowsky
1988 - Mortimer Greif
1989 - Hubert Wachsmann
1990 - not given
1991 - Maryann Taylor
1992 - not given
1993 - Robert G. Koeppen
1994 - not given
1995 - Jerome F. Levy
1996 - Eleanor M. Brown
1997 - John W. Mitchell
1998 - Frank H. Rutland
1999 - Jim Hodder
2000 - not given
2001 - Cheng-Kung Liu
2002 - not given
2003 - Janice E. Barnes
2004 - Satyendra De
2005 - Dennis C. Shelly
2006 - Anton Ela'mma
2007 - Lori Hyllengren
2008 - William N. Marmer
2009 - Karel Kolomaznik
2010 - George B. Stockman
2011 - Anthony D. Covington
2012 - Nicholas P. Latona
RECIPIENTS OF THE FRED
O’FLAHERTY SERVICE AWARD
The Fred O’Flaherty
Service Award, established by Council in 1973, recognizes individual
active ALCA members who have made over a period of time significant
contributions to the Association or to the leather and leather products
industries through the ALCA. This O’Flaherty Service Award may be given
to prior recipients of the Alsop Award (which recognizes outstanding
scientific or technical contributions to the leather industry) in
recognition of continuing significant service contributions.
1974 - Clinton E. Retzsch
1975 - Oscar V. Wederbrand
1976 - Joseph A Casnocha
1977 - Stephen A. Shivas
1978 - Joseph T. Hernon
1979 - Herbert L. Ellison
1980 - Velma E. Becker
1981 - Russell Lakoski
1982 - Raymond A. Hauck
1983 - Anthony J. Pilar, Jr.
1984 - Alex E. McDonell
1985 - Carl M. Perdue
1986 - Herbert . Tetrealult
1987 - Paul D. Finnegan
1988 - Raymond Ytuarte
1989 - Robert A. Patridge
1990 - Stuart E. Miller, Jr.
1991 - not given
1992 - Leo P. Devarenne
1993 - Stephen H. Feairheller
1994 - Robert M. Lollar
1995 - Dominic Meo, Jr.
1996 - Jean J. Tancous
1997 - Bruce D. Miller
1998 - Janice E. Barnes
1999 - Richard Peckham
2000 - Bruce Sharp
2001 - Marcel Siegler
2002 - William C. Prentiss
2003 - John Moynihan
2004 - Frank Rutland
2005 - Maryann M. Taylor 2006
- Randall L. Rowles 2007 -
Kenneth A. Boni 2008 - Dean T.
Didato 2009 - David Rabinovich
2010 - Doug Morrison
2011 - Lori Hyllengren
2012 - Eleanor M. Brown |
