Misplaced Pages

Priestley Medal
Priestley Medal obverse
Awarded for	Distinguished service in the field of chemistry
Date	1923 (1923)
Presented by	American Chemical Society (ACS)

The Priestley Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and is awarded for distinguished service in the field of chemistry. Established in 1922, the award is named after Joseph Priestley, one of the discoverers of oxygen, who immigrated to the United States of America in 1794. The ACS formed in 1876, spearheaded by a group of chemists who had met two years previously in Priestley's home.

The Priestley Medal is among the most distinguished awards in the chemical sciences, behind the Wolf Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Consequently, it is commonly awarded to scientists who are advanced in their fields, as it is intended to commemorate lifetime achievement. When the ACS started presenting the Priestley Medal in 1923, they intended to award it every three years. This continued until 1944, when it became an annual award.

Recipients

1920s

• 1923 Ira Remsen
• 1926 Edgar Fahs Smith
• 1929 Francis P. Garvan

1930s

• 1932 Charles L. Parsons
• 1935 William A. Noyes
• 1938 Marston T. Bogert

1940s

• 1941 Thomas Midgley Jr.
• 1944 James Bryant Conant
• 1945 Ian Heilbron
• 1946 Roger Adams
• 1947 Warren K. Lewis
• 1948 Edward R. Weidlein
• 1949 Arthur B. Lamb

1950s

• 1950 Charles A. Kraus
• 1951 E. J. Crane
• 1952 Samuel C. Lind
• 1953 Sir Robert Robinson
• 1954 W. Albert Noyes Jr. (son of William A. Noyes)
• 1955 Charles A. Thomas
• 1956 Carl S. Marvel
• 1957 Farrington Daniels
• 1958 Ernest H. Volwiler
• 1959 Hermann Irving Schlesinger

1960s

• 1960 Wallace R. Brode
• 1961 Louis Plack Hammett
• 1962 Joel H. Hildebrand
• 1963 Peter Debye
• 1964 John C. Bailar Jr.
• 1965 William J. Sparks
• 1966 William O. Baker
• 1967 Ralph Connor
• 1968 William G. Young
• 1969 Kenneth S. Pitzer

1970s

• 1970 Max Tishler
• 1971 Frederick D. Rossini
• 1972 George B. Kistiakowsky
• 1973 Harold C. Urey
• 1974 Paul J. Flory
• 1975 Henry Eyring
• 1976 George S. Hammond
• 1977 Henry Gilman
• 1978 Melvin Calvin
• 1979 Glenn T. Seaborg

1980s

• 1980 Milton Harris
• 1981 Herbert C. Brown
• 1982 Bryce Crawford
• 1983 Robert S. Mulliken
• 1984 Linus Pauling
• 1985 Henry Taube
• 1986 Karl A. Folkers
• 1987 John D. Roberts
• 1988 Frank H. Westheimer
• 1989 George C. Pimentel

1990s

• 1990 Roald Hoffmann
• 1991 Harry B. Gray
• 1992 Carl Djerassi
• 1993 Robert W. Parry
• 1994 Howard E. Simmons
• 1995 Sir Derek H. R. Barton
• 1996 Ernest L. Eliel
• 1997 Mary L. Good
• 1998 F. Albert Cotton
• 1999 Ronald Breslow

2000s

• 2000 Darleane C. Hoffman
• 2001 Fred Basolo
• 2002 Allen J. Bard
• 2003 Edwin J. Vandenberg
• 2004 Elias J. Corey
• 2005 George A. Olah
• 2006 Paul S. Anderson
• 2007 George M. Whitesides
• 2008 Gabor A. Somorjai
• 2009 M. Frederick Hawthorne

2010s

• 2010 Richard Zare
• 2011 Ahmed H. Zewail
• 2012 Robert S. Langer
• 2013 Peter J. Stang
• 2014 Stephen J. Lippard
• 2015 Jacqueline Barton
• 2016 Mostafa El-Sayed
• 2017 Tobin J. Marks
• 2018 Geraldine L. Richmond
• 2019 Karl Barry Sharpless

2020s

• 2020 JoAnne Stubbe
• 2021 A. Paul Alivisatos
• 2022 Peter B. Dervan
• 2023 Cato T. Laurencin
• 2024 Carolyn Bertozzi

See also

• List of chemistry awards

References

1. "Priestley Medal". Funding & Awards. American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
2. Schofield, Robert E. (2004). The Enlightened Joseph Priestley: A Study of His Life and Work from 1773 to 1804. Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-271-02459-2.
3. Bowden, Mary Ellen; Rosner, Lisa (2005). Joseph Priestley, Radical Thinker. Chemical Heritage Foundation. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-941901-38-3.
4. ^ Raber, Linda R. (2008-04-07). "85th Anniversary of the Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
5. "IREG List of International Academic Awards" (PDF). IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence. 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
6. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: ACS News – The Priestley Medalists, 1923–2008". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
7. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1923: Ira Remsen (1846–1927)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
8. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1929: Francis P. Garvan (1875–1937)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
9. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1935: William Albert Noyes (1857–1941) and 1954: W. Albert Noyes Jr. (1898–1980)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
10. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1941: Thomas Midgley Jr. (1889–1944)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
11. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1944: James Bryant Conant (1893–1978)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
12. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1945: Ian Morris Heilbron (1886–1959)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
13. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1946: Roger Adams (1889–1971)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
14. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1947: Warren K. Lewis (1882–1975)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
15. Golightly, John (1983-08-17). "E. R. Weidlein dies, smoke control pioneer". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-02-20 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "The Cover . . ". Chemical & Engineering News. 27 (40): 2840. 1949. doi:10.1021/cen-v027n040.p2840. ISSN 0009-2347.
17. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal - 1951: Evan J. Crane (1889-1966)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
18. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1953: Sir Robert Robinson (1886–1975)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
19. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1962: Joel H. Hildebrand (1881–1983)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
20. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1963: Peter J. W. Debye (1884–1966)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
21. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1969: Kenneth S. Pitzer (1914–1997)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
22. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1970: Max Tishler (1906–1989)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
23. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1972: George B. Kistiakowsky (1900–1982)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
24. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1973: Harold C. Urey (1893–1981)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
25. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1978: Melvin Calvin (1911–1997)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
26. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1979: Glenn T. Seaborg (1912–1999)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
27. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal – 1984: Linus C. Pauling (1901–1994)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
28. "ACS 1988 National Award Winners". Chemical & Engineering News. 65 (35): 48. 1987. doi:10.1021/cen-v065n035.p048. ISSN 0009-2347.
29. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: The Priestly Medal - 1989: George C. Pimentel (1922-1989)". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
30. "ACS 1990 National Award Winners". Chemical & Engineering News. 67 (37): 32. 1989. doi:10.1021/cen-v067n037.p032. ISSN 0009-2347.
31. Baum, Ruby M. (1990). "Caltech's Harry B. Gray Wins ACS's Highest Award in Chemistry". Chemical & Engineering News. 68 (23): 25–27. doi:10.1021/cen-v068n023.p025. ISSN 0009-2347.
32. Baum, Rudy M. (1991). "PRIESTLEY MEDAL". Chemical & Engineering News. 69 (22): 28–31. doi:10.1021/cen-v069n022.p028. ISSN 0009-2347.
33. Dagani, Ron (1992). "University of Utah's Robert W. Parry Wins 1993 Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. 70 (21): 21–22. doi:10.1021/cen-v070n021.p021. ISSN 0009-2347.
34. "Basic Research: A Perspective". Chemical & Engineering News. 72 (11): 27–31. 1994. doi:10.1021/cen-v072n011.p027. ISSN 0009-2347.
35. Dagani, Ron (1994). "Texas A&M's Derek H. R. Barton Wins 1995 Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. 72 (21): 39. doi:10.1021/cen-v072n021.p039. ISSN 0009-2347.
36. Baum, Rudy M. (1995). "PRIESTLEY MEDAL". Chemical & Engineering News. 73 (20): 37–39. doi:10.1021/cen-v073n020.p037. ISSN 0009-2347.
37. Long, Janice R. (1996). "Mary Lowe Good To Receive 1997 Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. 74 (20): 36. doi:10.1021/cen-v074n020.p036. ISSN 0009-2347.
38. Dagani, Ron; Rawls, Rebecca (1997). "Cotton to Receive Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. 75 (16): 9. doi:10.1021/cen-v075n016.p009. ISSN 0009-2347.
39. "PRIESTLEY MEDAL PROFILE". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
40. "PRIESTLEY MEDAL PROFILE: SMALL-TOWN IOWA GIRL MAKES GOOD". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
41. "C&EN: COVER STORY – PRIESTLY MEDALIST – A CHEMIST FROM COELLO". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
42. "C&EN: NEWS OF THE WEEK: PRIESTLEY MEDAL GOES TO BARD". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
43. "C&EN: PRIESTLEY MEDALIST – A POLYMER MAN'S HERCULEAN EFFORT". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
44. A. MAUREEN ROUHI, C&EN WASHINGTON. "ABOVE AND BEYOND ORGANIC SYNTHESIS". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
45. "C&EN: LATEST NEWS – OLAH WINS 2005 PRIESTLEY MEDAL". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
46. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
47. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: Cover Story – Always On The Move". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
48. Chemical & Engineering News. "Chemical & Engineering News: Cover Story – Surface Science's Sage". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
49. Rudy Baum. "The 2009 Priestley Medal". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
50. Celia Henry Arnaud. "Bubbling With Enthusiasm". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
51. Jacoby, Mitch; Reisch, Marc (2010). "Zewail Wins 2011 Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. 88 (25): 5. doi:10.1021/cen-v088n025.p005. ISSN 0009-2347.
52. Melanie L Miller - Chemical engineering (21 June 2011). "Robert Langer wins top chemistry award". MIT News. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
53. Elizabeth K. Wilson. "Peter J. Stang Named Priestley Medalist". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
54. Halford, Bethany (2013-06-10). "Stephen Lippard Named Priestley Medalist". Chemical & Engineering News. American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
55. Wilson, Elizabeth K. (2014-06-10). "Jacqueline Barton Named Priestley Medalist". Chemical & Engineering News. American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
56. "GT | Georgia Institute of Technology – News Center – Mostafa El-Sayed Wins 2016 Priestley Medal". www.news.gatech.edu. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
57. Wilson, Elizabeth K. (2016-06-20). "Tobin Marks Wins Priestley Medal". Chemical & Engineering News. American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
58. Kemsley, Jyllian (2017-06-07). "Geraldine Richmond named 2018 Priestley Medalist". Chemical & Engineering News. American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
59. "2019 Priestley Medal goes to K. Barry Sharpless | Scripps Research". www.scripps.edu. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
60. "2019 Priestley Medalist K. Barry Sharpless works magic in the world of molecules". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
61. "K. Barry Sharpless named 2019 Priestley Medalist". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
62. Celia Henry Arnaud. "JoAnne Stubbe Named 2020 Priestley Medalist". Retrieved 19 June 2019.
63. Paul Alivisatos Named 2021 Priestley Medalist
64. Peter Dervan Named 2022 Priestley Medalist
65. "Cato T. Laurencin named 2023 Priestley Medalist". cen.acs.org.
66. "Carolyn Bertozzi awarded the 2024 ACS Priestley Medal". American Chemical Society.

Further reading

• Charles L. Parsons (1932). "Priestley memorial and medal". Journal of Chemical Education. 9 (4): 643. Bibcode:1932JChEd...9..643P. doi:10.1021/ed009p643.

External links

• The Priestley Society

v t e Joseph Priestley
Works	The Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) A Chart of Biography (1765) Essay on a Course of Liberal Education for Civil and Active Life (1765) The History and Present State of Electricity (1767) Essay on the First Principles of Government (1768) A New Chart of History (1769) Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion (1772–74) Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air (1774–77) Disquisitions Relating to Matter and Spirit (1777) The Doctrine of Philosophical Necessity Illustrated (1777) Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever (1780) An History of the Corruptions of Christianity (1782) Lectures on History and General Policy (1788) Theological Repository (1770–73, 1784–88)
Other	Priestley and education Priestley and Dissent Priestley Riots Joseph Priestley House Priestley Medal Priestley College Joseph Priestley College 5577 Priestley

• Awards of the American Chemical Society
• Awards established in 1922