Research developments recorded in the Journal of Catalysis over the past 40 years are reviewed. The journal was launched at a propitious time, as is made clear from the accounts presented of various topics newly introduced in the 1960s, which laid the foundation for achievements to come later, notably in catalysis by zeolites but also in reactions catalyzed by metals and transition metal oxides. The early years are shown to have been followed by a period marked by the skilled application of new experimental techniques, especially spectroscopic methods for catalyst characterization and chemisorption. Research in which ideas and methodology were interchanged between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis are also indicated. By the middle years perspectives in catalysis were becoming strongly influenced by concerns regarding oil reserves and care of the environment. Examples of fundamental research reflecting this are described. The article briefly digresses to recall the members who have composed the editorial team of the Journal of Catalysis over the past 40 years, all of them personally active in basic research and recognizable from their work as sympathetic to the drive for understanding catalysis at the molecular level. In a final section the survey returns to its leitmotiv when some research themes from recent years are collated, among them the continuing progress with zeolite-related catalysis, the search for improved enantioselective catalysts, and the application of techniques in theoretical chemistry to chart catalytic reaction mechanisms. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.