> Graduate students aren't cited for coming up with innovations

Nonsense.

> the controversy is valid,

No. You can see both publications right here [1]. Watson and Crick explicitly say they are aware of the "general nature" of Franklin's results, but they are the only ones in that issue to propose the double helix structure with the specific features that explained all of the evidence, published and unpublished.

[1] https://www.mskcc.org/teaser/1953-nature-papers-watson-crick...