Lars Onsager has an unusual resume. After immigrating to America he was hired to teach chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. He was a genius at developing the concepts of physical chemistry but his teaching skills were dismal. His contract was not renewed after his first year. He then taught at Brown University where he made significant contributions to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics but as a teacher he was unable to explain concepts even to graduate students. Once again he was let go.
In 1933 he was awarded, bases upon his research, a position as the Sterling Fellow at Yale University. When the University realized he did not a doctorate, then awarded him the Ph.D. degree based on previously published research. He continued at Yale becoming an Assistant Professor (1934-1940), an Associate Professor (1940-1945) and the Josiah Willard Gibbs Professor of Theoretical Chemistry (1945-1972).
Lars Onsager was awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 1968 "for the discovery of the reciprocal relations bearing his name, which are fundamental for the thermodynamics of irreversible processes"
The * and *ETC on his headstone were added later by his children. Among his unlisted accomplishment are:
Honorary Degrees - Doctor of Science from:
Harvard University (1954)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1962)
Brown University (1962)
Rheinisch-Westfahlische Technische Hochschule (1962)
The University of Chicago (1968)
Ohio State University (Cleveland, 1969)
Cambridge University (1970)
Oxford University (1971)
and
Doctor technicae from:
Norges tekniske høgskole (1960)
Rumford Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,(1953)
The Lorentz Medal from The Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences,(1958)
Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry from the American Chemical Society (1965)
Belfer Award in Science from Yeshiva University (1966)
National Science Medal (1969)
Elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (1975)