New York, NY —The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) has chosen Jon M. Huntsman, founder and Chairman of Huntsman Corporation, to receive the prestigious Chemical Industry Medal.

SCI, a prominent international organisation that fosters the advancement of the global chemical industry, presents the award annually to an individual whose contributions have enhanced the progress and performance of the industry. Mr Huntsman will receive the medal at an SCI dinner on 9 March 2006 , in New York City .

For more than 35 years Mr Huntsman has been a highly recognised corporate leader and a tireless advocate for the chemical industry. His first business, Huntsman Container Corporation, pioneered numerous developments in styrenics and packaging, including the clamshell container that became so popular with McDonald’s and other restaurants. Today, Huntsman Corporation is one of the world’s largest chemical companies, with 11,300 employees and 57 operations in 22 countries. Its operating companies manufacture and market differentiated and commodity chemical products for a variety of the world’s most essential industries.

Mr Huntsman is the recipient of numerous chemical industry awards, including the Kaveler Award for CEO Excellence, CMRA’s Award for Executive Excellence, the Society of Plastics Engineers International Award, the NPRA Petrochemical Heritage Award, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s Othmer Gold Medal.

Mr Huntsman is Chairman of the Wharton Business School Board of Overseers and Chairman of the Biomedical Services Committee of the American Red Cross (ARC), after having served in other ARC leadership positions, including the Board of Governors. He has served on numerous corporate boards including Bankers Trust and Campbell Soup.

Mr Huntsman earned his undergraduate degree at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania , and subsequently earned an MBA degree at USC. He has been awarded twelve honorary doctorate degrees at various universities throughout the country.

Mr Huntsman has given significant service to his country. He is a former US Naval Gunnery Officer, was a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and served under President Nixon as Special Assistant to the President and as White House Staff Secretary.

Throughout his life, Mr Huntsman has established a remarkable record of humanitarian giving, and his lifetime philanthropy total exceeds $500 million. In 2000, he was distinguished as one of the three most generous Americans. In 2003, he received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from CNN’s Larry King.

Mr Huntsman is the founder and principal benefactor of the Huntsman Cancer Institute on the University of Utah Health Sciences campus. His gift of $225 million was the impetus behind the construction and operation of the world-class research centre and cancer hospital, which opened in 2004.

For more information, contact
David Cosway, Membership Communications Executive, T: +44 (0)20 7598 1564, F: +44 (0)20 7598 1545, E: SCIAmerica[ at]soci.info