The ACTC is an outgrowth of a Gordon conference on theoretical chemistry. In 1972, the conference was changed to become a triennial, independent conference first held at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The ACTC rotates with the triennial International Congress on Quantum Chemistry and the Canadian Conference on Theoretical Chemistry.
The focus of the earlier conferences was on quantum chemistry and quantum mechanical methods. The areas have broadened considerably over the years, and now include a broad swath of questions involving the behavior of molecules and materials.
The ACTC has a legacy going back more than half a century. Below we acknowledge the Chairs of the ACTC since its inception:
R. S. Mulliken, 1951
F. A. Matsen, 1955
R. G. Parr, 1959
H. Shull, 1962
M. Karplus, 1964
W T. Simpson, 1966
J. A. Pople, 1968
A. Moscowitz, 1970
D. W Smith, 1972
C. W Kern, 1975
E. R. Davidson, 1978
J. C. Light, 1981
H. F. Schaefer III, 1984
D. G. Truhlar, 1987
W A. Goddard III, 1990
J. C. Tully, 1993
J. Simons, 1996
E. J. Heller, 1999
K. D. Jordan, 2002
E. A. Carter, 2005
M. A. Ratner, 2008
