Alfred Bader may be best known for cofounding Aldrich Chemical Co. (now part of Sigma-Aldrich) in 1951, and for being a preeminent art collector, but it’s his enormous body of charitable work that may be his greatest legacy.

With his wife, Isabel, Bader has given millions of dollars to causes he’s passionate about, including the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED program, which provides scholarships to economically disadvantaged high school students to conduct hands-on research. In addition, since 1986, the Baders have supported an ACS national award, the Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry.

In celebration of Bader’s 90th birthday this month, C&EN reflects on the contributions of this multifaceted chemist, businessman, art collector, and champion for chemistry education.  

“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