Faraday Division's transition to subject community

In 1902 the Faraday Society, named in honour of Michael Faraday, to "promote the study of Electrochemistry, Electrometallurgy, Chemical Physics, Metallurgy and kindred subjects" was formed. The first council meeting of the Society occurred in February 1903.

In 1972, the Faraday Society merged with the Chemical Society, and then later in 1982 merged with the Society for Analytical Chemistry and the Royal Institute of Chemistry to form the Royal Society of Chemistry as we know it today.

The Faraday Society thus became the Faraday Division, one of the key pillars of the Royal Society of Chemistry, with the aim to advance scientific developments and support scientists working in the field of physical chemistry.

In 2020, the RSC commissioned a review of the divisions. One of the key recommendations of the review was that the divisions be reorganised into subject communities to better support the communities and members they represented, and to allow for better integration and collaboration with interest groups and other communities.

Concurrently, the Faraday Division reviewed its name - members of the division felt that it was important to continue to remember and honour the legacy of those scientists that came before us, such as Michael Faraday, but also to be mindful of inclusion, accessibility, and the scope and breadth of the community.

The Faraday Division Council, therefore, decided that the best way to respect the diverse views of its members was to adopt the name "Faraday Community for Physical Chemistry" from July 2022.