In 1951, the Priestley Medal was awarded to E. J. Crane by the American Chemical Society “to recognize distinguished services to chemistry,” the Society’s most prestigious award.

Crane graduated from Ohio State University in 1911; the university was only two blocks away from his birthplace. He stayed in Columbus during his entire career with Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS). He started working there right after graduation and remained through his retirement—some would say semiretirement—in 1958.