July 22 – The section is first organized by William McPherson according to C. W. Foulk.  This is the date the letter requesting consideration of formation of local section was received at ACS headquarters in New York.

The section receives the charter on October 7.  The section has 18 charter members.  The first meeting is held on Oct. 20 in the Chemical Laboratory of OSU and 9 persons are present.  

Prof. Henry A. Weber of OSU is elected president and serves for 10 years.  

William McPherson serves as Secretary until Nov. 1900.  

Membership and By-laws committees are formed.  

The meeting minutes from 1897 to April, 1920 are recorded in a notebook that is in the OSU Chemistry Department archives.  The section is the 9th oldest ACS local section.