The Cain Fellowship was created with a gift from the late Gordon A. Cain. The income from the gift supports long-term fellowships, the Gordon Cain Conference, and a variety of travel grants.

Cain (1912–2002) received his BS in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University (LSU) and became one of this century’s most successful entrepreneurs in the chemical and biotechnology industries. After graduating from LSU, Cain worked for Freeport Sulphur and Merck. He commanded an army battalion during World War II, which gave him his first experience in management. Cain creatively applied the skills he learned in the army to management practices in the chemical industry. He acquired and restructured such companies as Vista Chemical, Arcadian, Sterling Chemicals, Cain Chemical, and Fiber Industries.

The Cain Fellowship is open to postdoctoral and predoctoral scholars who plan to conduct historical research on some aspect of the development of the chemical and related industries.