In 1990, the Priestley Medal was awarded to Roald Hoffmann by the American Chemical Society “to recognize distinguished services to chemistry,” the Society’s most prestigious award.

Roald Hoffmann, the Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters Emeritus at Cornell University, a Nobel laureate, poet, and playwright, is a tireless advocate of the wonders of science and the beauty of chemistry. Hoffmann successfully shares his understanding of science with the public at large through literature, educational television, and even the stage.