The anthracene lumiphore was linked to the chelating ligand 2,2'-bipyridine, forming 4-[N-(2-anthryl) carbamoyl]-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine (bpyAnth). Coupling through an amide linkage provides some electronic isolation of the anthracene lumiphore. Electrochemistry suggested little change of the anthracene oxidation whether free (1.35 V) linked to 2,2'-bipyridine as bpyAnth (1.30 V) or appended to Fe-II (1.29 V). The bpyAnth ligand retained the structured luminescence characteristic of anthracene at 375, 400, 419, and 441 nm. This anthracene emission persists even when bpyAnth is complexed to an Fe-II center. The complex [Fe(bpyAnth)(3)](2+) is emissive, in marked contrast to typical polyazine iron(II) complexes. This bpyAnth ligand serves as a luminescently tagged analogue of 2,2'-bipyridine, useful for coordination to a variety of metals.