Thirty years ago, interaction— some might call it lobbying— with legislative groups was practically unknown in the American Chemical Society. There was no need for it, since Sputnik created an unprecedented expansion of science. However, after reaching the moon, the bubble of euphoria suddenly burst and the situation changed. There were reasons to urge politicians not only to maintain support for research, but also to be concerned with the welfare of its practitioners. At the beginning, there was a reluctance to be involved in such activities for fear that it might endanger ACS's tax-exempt status as a 501 (c) (3) organization.
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