In 1923, Atherton Seidell was a renowned research chemist who developed a physiological test for the activity of vitamin preparations.

Seidell also played an important role in the introduction of microfilm to the Army Medical Library, now known as the U.S. National Library of Medicine. In the 1940’s, Seidell co-deleloped and sold the “Seidell viewer,” an inexpensive hand-held microfilm viewing device.