History Videos

• The First Fifty Years of Mass Spectrometry: Building a Foundation
  Presented by Michael L. Gross (Washington University, St. Louis). Plenary lecture at the 2013 ASMS Conference.
• The Early Life of J.J. Thomson: Computational Chemistry and Gas Discharge Experiments
  An episode of the Chemical Heritage Foundation's "Profiles in Chemistry," Mike Grayson of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry describes the early accomplishments of J. J. Thomson.
• J.J. Thomson - Noble Prize Award Winner  
  The discoverer of the properties of the electron and creator of the positive ray analyzer, speaks to the importance of conducting basic research in the physical sciences.  His message is timeless and applies today as it did then.

• Alfred O.C. Nier Video Al Nier's Early Career at the University of Minnesota: Discovery of a New Isotope of Potassium.
• Photographic History of Fred Warren McLafferty, Mass Spectrometry Pioneer
  Presented by Michael L. Gross (Washington University, St. Louis) at the 2022 ASMS Conference.
• Mass Spectrometry in Russia: from Magnet Instruments to ESI
  Presented by Lidia Gall (Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of Russian Academy of Sciences at the 2013 ASMS Conference.
• First Commerical Manufacturer of Mass Spectrometers: ConsolidatedEngineering Corp (CEC)
  Learn about how CEC workshops evolve into today's ASMS
• Recording Mass Spectra with a Mass Spectrograph
  The CEC 21-110 Mass Spectrograph using photoplate detection
• The Ion Optics of a Mauttauch-Herzog Mass Analyzer: The CEC 21-110
• One Man's Noise: Christie G. Enke remembers development of the Triple Quad Mass Spectrometer

Science History Institute

ASMS has been an affiliated society of the Science History Institute (the Institute) for over 20 years. During that time, the ASMS archivist has served as an observer of the the Institute Board Meetings, then as a member of the Board of Directors, and finally as a member of the Science History Council.

The Institute has contributed to ASMS by providing support and assistance on a number of projects.

• Collection and maintenance of significant mass spectrometry artifacts. 
• Providing funds and services for the publication of “Measuring Mass” for the 50th Anniversary Conference. 
• Providing funds and services in the collection and maintenance of oral histories of prominent scientists in the field of mass spectrometry. 
• Providing funds and resources for the collection and organization of papers of prominent mass spectrometrists. 

You are encouraged to visit the Institute online (www.sciencehistory.org) or in person if you are in Philadelphia. The Science History Institute and Museum is located at 315 Chestnut Street, in the heart of the Philadelphia historic district.