One of the first societies for chemists was the Society of Chemical Industry, founded in London in 1881. This inspired a number of other groups, including the Société de Chimie Industrielle in Paris, France.  The French Société was modeled on the British organization in 1917.
 A number of those active in forming the French Société were elected to its first set of officers, which included  industrialist Paul Kestner as president, 
vice-presidents Albin Haller and Henry Louis Le Châtelier, and 
Jean Gérard  as general secretary.
Creation of the French Société in turn inspired creation of a related American  association in New York in 1918. This was part of an effort to rebuild international connections between individuals and institutions that had been disrupted during the First World War.
René Laurent Engel encouraged the re-establishment of ties between chemists in the two countries in his position as the scientific representative in a French Mission to the United States.
Victor Grignard of the University of Nancy also encouraged the creation of an American organization. A circular appealed to the Chemists and Manufacturers of America to "extend to our French fellow chemists and manufacturers our moral and financial support and the right hand of good fellowship."
The American section of the Société de Chimie Industrielle was formed on January 18, 1918, following the presentation of the Perkin Medal by the Society of Chemical Industry (American Section) at The Chemists Club in New York.  Engel, as secretary of the parent organization, addressed the meeting.  Officers of the newly created American section of the Société de Chimie Industrielle included Leo Baekeland as president, Jerome Alexander as vice-president, Charles Avery Doremus as secretary, and George Frederick Kunz as treasurer. A report describes the Sociétés purpose as follows:
The first official meeting of the American section of the Société de Chimie Industrielle was held on April 4, 1918 at The Chemists' Club in New York.  William H. Nichols, president of the American Chemical Society, welcomed the new organization.  Frederick J. LeMaistre reported on "Conditions in the French chemical industries during 1916".