Britton Chance lived a storied life. Eight decades of this life were unceasingly devoted to scientific research innovation, and technological invention and application. Those who came to the Johnson Foundation and were drawn by Britton Chance to share his passions had their lives changed.

This website serves two roles. The first role is for the long term. It intends to be a record of Britton Chance’s life and times that were his from July 24, 1913 to November 16, 2010. We intend that the website will become a permanent repository of material things from his long and productive life that will report a legacy that will surely extend his scientific life for many years to come. This part of the site will afford direct access to oral histories, interviews, photographs, movies and his published work, all in downloadable form. And not least, access to Britton Chance's life of sailing. We are starting to collect and organize the first entries for this resource. This will be a continuous activity that will be open for the duration for the inclusion of information on or about Britton Chance as it becomes available.

The importance of the second role of the website is more immediate: This site will be used to make announcements regarding the upcoming memorial called “Britton Chance: His Life, Times, and Legacy”. The memorial takes the form of a two-day celebration Friday June 3 and Saturday June 4, 2011. You can find the specific information here.

The first day, Friday June 3, will cover Britton Chance’s scientific life from the 1930s to 2010. There will be presentations from those students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists who were with Britton Chance at the time when significant work was done and published. These will be alternated with presentations from those of our colleagues who are leaders of their fields today and will report on the impact of Britton Chance on their field and their work. The symposium will end with a presentation by Shoko Nioka who will cover her and Brit’s latest work and the many Britton Chance’s out-reach contributions. She will introduce two alumni from Shoko and Brit’s minority Summer School to tell us what they are doing today.

On the second day, Saturday June 4, there will be a symposium/workshop on molecular spectroscopy and imaging that the participants will take from benchtop to bedside. Thus, the sessions planned will shift our attention to areas of research that Britton Chance profoundly influenced over the past quarter century. The symposium/workshop will cover topics of new research on x-ray and ³¹P NMR through near-infrared spectroscopy of living tissue to the development of molecular beacons and cancer detection and treatment. Refreshments will be provided and the day will end with a reception for all participants.

This celebration of Britton Chance's life and times will look back to his past and to the impact of his contributions on the present. But as we might expect from Britton Chance himself, this event should not ignore the progress of science into the future. We expect these two days to define his profound influence which will surely stand as his lasting legacy.

Les Dutton
Director, The Johnson Research Foundation