Oklahoma Chemist of the year Award The Oklahoma Chemist award was initiated in 1971 and was primarily started by Dr. George R Waller who was a faculty member in the Biochemistry Department at the Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma is divided into five sections of the American Chemical Society, each section agreed to support this award on an annual basis. The concept of this award was to honor truly outstanding contributions made to the science and to the State by a Chemist in recent years within the state of Oklahoma. Although originally designed to honor research chemists, an amendment was introduced in the 1980's to allow candidates to be nominated who had made extraordinary contributions to the area of chemical education whether it to be youth or public in general.
The Oklahoma Chemist Award is the most prestigious award given to a chemist within Oklahoma. The award consists of $1000.00 as well as a plaque. A brief description of the accomplishments by the recipient are engraved on the plaque.