In 1935, The Priestley Medal was awarded to William A. Noyes by the American Chemical Society “to recognize distinguished services to chemistry,” the highest honor given by the Society.

He was awarded the Nichols Medal in 1908 along with H. C. P. Weber for their contributions to understanding the atomic weight of chlorine. After beginning his career primarily in the field of analytic chemistry, he made a host of contributions to organic chemistry, including proving the structure of camphor, exploring electronic theories of valence, and developing methods for determining sulfur, manganese, and phosphorus in iron.