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, the discoverer 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.