In the mid-1800s, while European scientists enjoyed recognition for their remarkable discoveries in chemistry, physics, and biology, American scientists remained almost completely unknown. However, beginning in 1876, the British physicist James Clerk Maxwell began heralding the work of a heretofore anonymous American, Willard Gibbs. Though acceptance of his theories came slowly, Gibbs would eventually be considered one of the greatest theoretical physicists ever.

Gibbs was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to a family of well-known academics. His father was a professor of sacred literature at Yale University, and it was a foregone conclusion that he would attend that school. Gibbs received his bachelor's degree in 1858, and in 1863 he became the first American to receive a Ph.D. in engineering. Gibbs realized that the opportunities for scientific advancement in the United States were slim, and after three years as a tutor at Yale, he traveled to Europe to continue...