▁B ør ge ▁Bak ▁( 3 1 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁– ▁ 2 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 0 ), ▁Knight ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Dan ne bro g ▁ 1 st ▁Class , ▁was ▁a ▁Dan ish ▁poly math , ▁invent or , ▁chem ist ▁and ▁professor ▁of ▁mole cular ▁spect ro sc opy ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁C open hagen , ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁early ▁contributions ▁to ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁M ole cular ▁Spect ro sc opy . ▁Bak ▁travel led ▁widely ▁as ▁a ▁visit ing ▁Professor , ▁including ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley ▁( 1 9 6 9 ) ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Bolog na ▁( 1 9 7 6 ). ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁nomin ator ▁to ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Committee ▁for ▁Chem istry , ▁was ▁the ▁recip ient ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁Es so ▁Foundation ' s ▁prize ▁for ▁out standing ▁technical ▁scientific ▁research , ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Dan ish ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Bak ▁received ▁his ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁C open hagen ▁in ▁mathematics , ▁physics , ▁chem istry ▁and ▁astronom y , ▁special izing ▁in ▁organ ic ▁chem istry . ▁Im medi ately ▁following ▁his ▁gradu ation , ▁Bak ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁University ' s ▁Department ▁of ▁Chem istry ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁the ▁ren owned ▁organ ic ▁chem ist