WRRC Is a National Historic Chemical Landmark
On September 6, 2002 the ARS Western Regional Research Center (WRRC) at Albany, CA, was designated by the American Chemical Society as a National Historic Chemical Landmark in recognition of WRRC's pioneering research on frozen foods. The award recognizes the accomplishments of WRRC scientists who determined, characterized, and controlled many of the underlying chemical and biochemical mechanisms responsible for frozen food stability and deterioration. The findings, largely from the 1950s and 1960s, laid the foundations for the modern frozen food industry and continue to provide the basis for the handling and preservation of frozen food. Civic and industry leaders joined dignitaries from ARS and the American Chemical Society for a ceremony in Albany on December 11, 2002 celebrating this designation. The ceremonies included tours highlighting the historic and modern aspects of ARS research at WRRC.

About ACS National Historic Chemical Landmark Award (Time-Temperature Tolerance)
Commemorative booklet (PDF)
About the ACS Chemical Landmark Program

WRRC Receives its Second National Historic Chemical Landmark
WRRC has been designated by the American Chemical Society as a 2013 National Historic Chemical Landmark in recognition of its revolutionary contributions to flavor chemistry. The ARS Information Staff summarizes WRRC's accomplishments in "Cited for More Than 60 Years of Flavor Research" (Agricultural Research Magazine, May/June 2013; linked below). The award was presented by Marinda Li Wu, ACS President, in Albany, CA on August 29, 2013. The program also included remarks from: Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist, USDA, and Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Former Center Directors Arthur Morgan, Antoinette Betschart and James Seiber attended the ceremony as well.

About ACS National Historic Chemical Landmark Award (Flavor Chemistry Research at the USDA)
Commemorative booklet (PDF)

ARS Agricultural Research Magazine article: May/June 2013 vol. 61 no. 5.

ACS National Historic Chemical Landmark plaque presented August 29, 2013. Photo by David Hane, GGD, now CIG research unit.

Former WRRC Center Directors: James Seiber, Antoinette Betschart, Arthur Morgan, Howard Zhang. Photo taken August 29, 2013 (David Hane, GGD/CIG).