According to Robert A. Millikan, in pure science, Gibbs "did for statistical mechanics and for thermodynamics what Laplace did for celestial mechanics and Maxwell did for electrodynamics, namely, made his field a well-nigh finished theoretical structure".
Prema Robertu A. Milikenu, u čistoj nauci Gibs je „uradio za statističku mehaniku i za termodinamiku ono što je Laplas uradio za nebesku mehaniku i Maksvel za elektrodinamiku, naime, učinio svoje polje dobro završenom teorijskom strukturom”.