CRC HANDBOOK OF

CHEMISTRY AND
PHYSICS:
90 EDITIONS AND STILL GOING
STRONG
Fiona Macdonald, Taylor and Francis
Outline
! Early beginnings
! Archive highlights
! Growth of the Handbook
! The Handbook Editors
! Notable contributors
! A family affair the Starkoff years
! What the future holds
Early beginnings
! ca.1903
Company founded by
Arthur Friedman +
brothers Leo and
Emanuel
! 28 April 1913
First edition of
Handbook of Chemistry
and Physics published
Growth of the Handbook
" 1913, 1
st
edition
" 116 pp
" 1924, 10
th
edition
" 915 pp
" 1935, 20
th
edition
" 1965 pp
" 1948, 30
th
edn
" 2704 pp
" 2009, 90
th
edn
" 2804 pp
This book is the result of a number of years
experience in the compiling and editing of data
useful to chemists
Many years of occupation with this type of
work bring a realization of the opportunities for
the occurrence of errors..
Norbert A. Lange, Cleveland, Ohio, 1934

From the Preface of Langes Handbook of
Chemistry, 1
st
edition
The Handbook Editors-in-Chief
! William R. Veazey 1913-1914
! Charles D. Hodgman 1914-1953
! Robert C. Weast 1964-1989
! David R. Lide 1990-2009
! W.M. Mickey Haynes 2009 - ?
The Editor in action
From the Preface of the 89
th
edition
As a teenager, I was crazy about chemistry and with my student
pass on Clevelands public transportation system I was able to
visit any place in town, including the Chemical Rubber
Companys retail outlet. While purchasing chemicals for my
own use I noticed a CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
on sale for $0.25. It was a defective copy but the clerk
mentioned that the missing pages might be available from the
gentleman whose office was up one flight of stairs. There, I
met Charles D. Hodgman, the CRC Handbooks Editor-in-Chief.
In addition to getting the missing pages, I also received some
rare and welcome encouragement toward a career in
chemistry.
! Elmer Fridrich, inventor of the quartz halogen lamp
Dr David R Lide
! B.S. Chemistry, Carnegie Inst
Technol
! M.A. Physics, Harvard
! Ph.D. Chemical Physics, Harvard
! Former Director, NIST Standard
Reference Data Program
! 1988, Herman Skolnik Award in
Chemical Information
Our new Editor-in-Chief
! Dr William Mickey
Haynes
! Ph.D. Physics Univ Virginia
! Former Chief, Physical and
Chemical Properties
Division, NIST
! Editor Int. J. Thermophys.
! Takes charge from 91
st

edition
Notable contributors
! Glenn T Seaborg nuclear chemist,
1951 Nobel Laureate
! Carl Speed Marvel polymer
chemist
! James van Allen space scientist
CRC A Family Affair
! Founded by Arthur Friedman
! Succeeded by his daughter Florence
and her husband Bernard Starkoff
! Publishing business expanded
! Relocated company to Boca Raton,
Florida
Going electronic
! 1999 Handbook web version
launched - Knovel
! 2004 Revamped web version
launched in house
! 2009 Structure searching
enhancements - ChemAxon
Looking ahead
! Other formats
! Enhanced web content vs print
constraints
! How do we know what to leave out?
Wordle.net
Wordcloud Handbook search terms
Acknowledgements
! Rob Doischen, CRC Press
Photography
! Joyce Lucas, CRC Press Company
history
! Robert Morris, CRC Press Usage
statistics
And finally
! Champagne and cake
reception
! Tuesday August 18
th

! 2.30 pm
! CRC Booth #2021