SCC Emeritus member and industry icon Henry F. Maso passed away on Mar. 3, 2009. Maso served as president the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) in 1967 and president of the International Federation of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) in 1983. In 1971, Maso received the society's highest honor, the Maison G. deNavarre Medal Award.
"He was an amazing and generous mentor to many in the industry," noted Nancy Allured.
Maso was an integral member of the SCC for over 50 years. He first joined the SCC in 1957 and since served in a number of roles from the constitution and bylaws committee member in 1970 to honorary chair of the 23rd IFSCC Congress in 2004. Although he served on many advising committees such as chairman of the board in 1968, Maso also took an active role in education. He taught cosmetic chemistry courses for the SCC, having most recently taught a cosmetic raw material course in 2005. He also served as a Continuing Education Program advisor.
Maso was the recipient of the Robert A. Kramer Lifetime Service Award in 2006. The award is given at the discretion of the board of directors to an individual who has given extraordinary service over the course of his or her membership.
Although his professional mark certainly will go down in history, many personally will remember him for his sense of humor, his kindness and his love for music as Maso played the harmonica for the SCC band, the Chemtones.
"We all have lost a good friend and exceptionally kind and knowledgeable person. I personally cherish many fond memories experiencing Henry's wisdom, humor and skills in mentoring new entries into the cosmetic industry. He will be missed, but he established the "gold standard" for integrity and caring," reflected Paul Thau.