The American Chemical Society Fellows program was initiated to recognize members of the ACS for outstanding achievements in and contributions to Science, the Profession, and the Society. In our opinion, Madeleine M. Joullié exemplifies all of these aspects with respect to her professional career and personal dedication and as such is the perfect candidate for this honor.

All who know Madeleine are well aware of her dedication to the profession demonstrated by her distinguished accomplishments in teaching and research activities. Madeleine has long been concerned with the ‘employability of students even after they leave the sheltered academic environment.’  To address this issue Madeleine took on a leadership role as a founding member of the group that developed the Professional Employment Guidelines of the ACS. The guidelines offer a broad spectrum of recommended practices in employment for professional scientists and their employers and are intended to foster productive working relationships between chemical professionals and their employers. Madeleine has also been involved with the advancement of minorities (especially women) into the chemistry profession. In recognition of her high level of commitment, she was presented the ACS Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences sponsored by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. which recognizes individuals who have significantly stimulated the interest of women in chemistry, thereby promoting their professional development. Madeleine’s dedication, values and scientific rigor have motivated her students and peers alike and have made perpetual impact on the entire scientific community.

Specifically with respect to her research activities, Madeleine has made original and important significant contributions to synthetic, heterocyclic and natural products chemistry. Her early pioneering efforts in exploring the chemistry of ketene and ketene-sulfur dioxide set the foundation for innovative chemistry all over the world leading to numerous discoveries and formulated the basis for synthesizing a wide variety of biologically active molecules. Her elegant work in the area of tetrahydrofuranoid natural products manipulating carbohydrates as starting building blocks led to the total synthesis of many natural products such as muscarine furonomycin, ascofuranone, geiparvarin and ascochlorin. Madeleine is well respected as a researcher in the scientific community both in this country and abroad. In honor of her many scientific accomplishments, Madeleine received the Arthur C. Cope Senior Scholar Award that recognizes and encourages excellence in organic chemistry. Her efforts have strongly influenced the science of organic chemistry through years of excellent teaching and commitment to graduate and undergraduate education and outstanding service to the chemical community.

Madeleine is not only an excellent educator and researcher; she is a wonderful role model for her abundance of service to the chemistry profession and specifically the American Chemical Society. Her service to the ACS started over 50 years ago when she was elected as alternate councilor for the local Philadelphia Section of the ACS. She has continued to be very involved throughout the years often holding several positions at one time. Her service to the local Philadelphia Section includes participation as Councilor, Director, Program Committee Chair as well as Chair of the Section. As a result of her dedication, Madeleine was awarded the Philadelphia Section Award which recognizes an individual, “who, by conspicuous scientific achievement through research, has made important contributions to human knowledge and thereby aided the public appreciation of the profession.”

Of course Madeleine’s dedication does not allow her to stop at just local section participation but she extends her involvement to the National ACS and global chemistry profession. She has served on numerous national committees for the ACS including Council Policy Committee, Committee on Committees, Committee on Professional Relations, and Committee on Chemical Education. Most recently Madeleine served as Director, District III of the ACS Board of Directors.

Madeleine is a long-standing member of the American Chemical Society who has made significant accomplishments and contributions to the chemical community in the US as well as abroad. Her tireless efforts as a leader, researcher, educator and mentor in promoting chemical science make her a role model to chemists in many generations.