On 6-7 December 2002, the Department of Chemistry celebrated the tercentenary of the first chair of chemistry at Cambridge, established in February 1702 (or 1703 under our modern calendar). The chair's first holder, Giovanni Francesco Vigani, a contemporary and friend of Isaac Newton, taught as chemistry was emerging as a distinct discipline from its old association with alchemy and pharmacy. 300 years and fifteen holders later, the chair continues as the prestigious BP 1702 chair of chemistry, making it the oldest continuously occupied chair of chemistry in the UK.

The list of speakers is still available online, as are photographs of the event. We would like to thank all the speakers, staff and other participants for making Chem@300 such a successful and enjoyable event. The conference was made possible through the generous support of Dr Alfred Bader, BP, ICI, Johnson Matthey, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

A historical booket was produced for the event by Dr. Christopher Haley. Entitled Boltheads and Crucibles, this outlines the history of the 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge, providing brief biographies of the various professors, together with some information about the changing nature of the subject. Further copies of this booklet are still available. If you would like a copy, please send a cheque for five pounds to cover handling and P&P to:
 

'Boltheads and Crucibles' Department of Chemistry Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW

The conference proceedings themselves are also due to be published by Cambridge University Press in a volume entitled Transformation and Change: The 1702 Chair of Chemistry in Cambridge. This 250 page hardback book should be available from November 2003. Copies may be reserved by contacting Cambridge University Press and quoting ISBN 0521828732.