The Thomas Stieltjes Institute for Mathematics at Leiden University, dissolved in 2011, was named after him, as is the Riemann–Stieltjes integral.

Stieltjes Sr. was responsible for the construction of various harbours around Rotterdam, and also seated in the Dutch parliament.

Instead of attending lectures, he spent his student years reading the works of Gauss and Jacobi — the consequence of this being he failed his examinations.

And in September, Stieltjes was asked to substitute at University of Delft for F.J. van den Berg.

He was initially accepted, but in the end turned down by the Department of Education, since he lacked the required diplomas.

In 1884 the University of Leiden awarded him an honorary doctorate, and in 1885 he was elected to membership in the Royal Academy of Sciences of Amsterdam.

All mathematics institutes and departments of Dutch universities are asked for an overview of the PhDs that have taken place in the academic year.