In 1945, the American Chemical Society awarded the Priestley Medal to Ian Heilbron, “to recognize distinguished services to chemistry,” the Society’s most prestigious award. He was the first non-American to be honored with the Priestley Medal.

Heilbron studied chemistry at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, under G. G. Henderson, who introduced him to organic chemistry research. At Henderson’s urging, Heilbron took a graduate fellowship at the University of Leipzig, in Germany, where he studied under Arthur Rudolf Hantzsch from 1907 to 1909. It was during his time there that he became interested in spectroscopy.

Heilbron was knighted for his war service in 1946, the same year he was awarded the Priestley Medal. He continued his public service in a variety of positions, such as chairman of the Advisory Council of the Royal Military College of Science. After the war he played a leading role in the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry.