Reminiscence on the passing …

Dr S Allen Heininger passed away on Monday, December 26, 2022, at the age of 97. Dr Heininger was born in New Britain, CT. He served in the US Navy during World War II, then obtained a BA in chemistry from Oberlin College, and his MS and PhD from Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1952, he joined Monsanto Company in Saint Louis, retiring in 1990 as Corporate Vice President for Resource Planning. He was president of the American Chemical Society in 1991. He served on numerous additional Boards, including the St Louis Science Center and the Science History Institute.

In bringing our attention to Dr Heininger’s passing, longtime Section member Lawrence Barton remembers:

In 1976, James Roth of Monsanto received the St. Louis Award. It was presented at a banquet at a place called Grant’s Cabin on Watson Road, I think. That may be wrong. Anyway, the place was a disaster. Rooms separated only by dividers were unbearable due to the noise from adjoining parties.

Monty Throdall was there, then (I believe) VP for Research at Monsanto. Monsanto then ruled the ACS St. Louis Section, almost, and they funded the St. Louis Award. He insisted we find a better venue. His colleague, Al Heininger, an Old Warson Country Club member, sponsored the event at Old Warson, where it was held from 1977 until the late 1980s.

Then for some reason — probably Heininger resigned from Old Warson — it was held elsewhere, notably Kemoll’s for a few years. Eventually, I started having it at Glen Echo, and it is still there. Al was not involved much in the Section, but may have been suggested by Clayton Callis, another Monsanto bigwhig who was very active in the Section and was ACS President in 1989.