The International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (ISMSC) was founded as a combination of two separate international symposia. The International Symposium on Macrocyclic Chemistry (ISMC) and the International Symposium on Supramolecular Chemistry (ISSC) met together in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 2006. Members of both groups enjoyed learning and connecting their respective fields, and so the ISMSC was born.

The first meeting of the American Symposium on Macrocyclic Compounds was held in Provo, Utah, at Brigham Young University August 15-17 in 1977. It was co-chaired by BYU faculty Reed M. Izatt and James J. Christensen, the former of whom currently holds emeritus professor status at BYU. The ISMC drew macrocyclic chemists from all over the world in the interest of sharing and advancing their findings. ISMC meetings ran annually in Provo from 1977 to 1981; for, in 1980, the first European Meeting on Macrocyclic Compounds was held in Basel, Switzerland. In 1982, Dr. Izatt visited the European symposium and spoke with European chairperson Thomas Kaden about combining the American and European symposiums into one international conference. In 1985 this dream came true and the first meeting of the ISMC took place at BYU.

Meanwhile, the first ISSC took place in Warsaw, Poland in 1980. The ISSC began meeting every other year, moving from one nation to another, until merging with the ISMC in 2006.

Nominations for the Cram Lehn Pedersen and Izatt-Christensen award are currently open. Check the Awards page for more information on the nomination process.