Henry (Hank) F. Whalen, Jr. was elected as an ACS Fellow in on the basis of his excellence in scientific management and his long-term dedication to serving the American Chemical Society. A Philadelphia native, Hank received a BS in chemistry from Villanova University in 1958 and pursued graduate studies in marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School from 1959 to 1961.

Hank is well known throughout the professional community for his excellence in scientific management. During his 24 years at PQ Corporation, an international producer of silicates and derived products, Hank was part of the management team that grew the company from $50 million to more than $500 million in sales through acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing and new product development, both domestically and abroad. Prior to joining PQ Corporation, he was a vice president at the First National Bank of Chicago and held various business development positions at Rohm and Haas Co.

As a result of Hank’s dedication to the chemical enterprise, he has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Hank served as president and a director of the Chemical Management and Resources Association, where he received its Award for Executive Excellence in 1988 and its Distinguished Service Award in 1991. He has also been active in the Commercial Development Association and received its “Golden C” award in 1998. As a liaison to the European Association for Business Research, Planning & Development in the Chemical Industry and the Asian Chemical Management and Research Association, he also participated in the Industrial Research Institute, the Council for Chemical Research, several international business associations and the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Hank has been a member of the American Chemical Society since 1960 and has taken an active role in the Society’s governance. On the national level, Hank put to good use his management and leadership skills serving not only as an active member but Chair of various committees including Committee on Divisional Activities (1984-1985), Industry Relations Advisory Board (1997), and Board Committee on Professional and Member Relations (1996). Hank also served the needs of ACS upon his election to the Board of Directors as a Director-at-Large 1995-1997 and as Chair of the Board of Directors 1999-2000. As Chair, Hank established an Industry Relations Advisory Board whose mission was to assure that the ACS would be the premier provider of value-added services and products to industrial members and their employers.

Hank was extremely instrumental in the success of the Division of Business Development & Management, serving as Chair of the Division from 1975-1976 as well as Councilor for over 16 years. As a result of his dedication and service, a Division Award was established in his honor in 2002, the Henry F. Whalen, Jr. Award for Excellence in Development and Management within the Chemical Enterprise, for which Hank was the inaugural recipient.

On the local level, Hank has been an active member and strong supporter of the Philadelphia Section, holding a multitude of positions over the years. Hank’s various roles have been from Publicity Chair to Public Relations Chair to Director and eventually Chair of the Section. He also served as a councilor for many years.

The above is just a small listing of his various awards and dedicated service to ACS. Hank’s induction as an ACS Fellow in 2010 was well deserved.