- 1931-1935 Amos C. Miller Scholarship, Oberlin College
- 1941-1942 National Research Council Fellowship
- 1954 Distinguished Alumni Citation, Oberlin College
- 1960 Elected National Academy of Sciences
- 1963 Elected American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 1969 Howard Crosby Warren Medal, Society of Experimental Psychologists
- 1971 Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, American Psychological Association
- 1972 Co-recipient, William Thomson Wakeman Research Award, National Paraplegia Foundation
- 1972 California Scientist of the Year Award
- 1972 Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, Cambridge University
- 1973 Passano Award in Medical Science
- 1974 Elected Honorary Member American Neurological Association
- 1974 Elected American Philosophical Society
- 1975 Co-recipient Claude Bernard Science Journalism Award
- 1976 Karl Lashley Award of American Philosophical Society
- 1976 Elected Foreign Member of Royal Society
- 1976 Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, University of Chicago
- 1978 Elected Member Pontifical Academy of Sciences
- 1979 Honorary Doctor of Science, Kenyon College
- 1979 Wolf Prize in Medicine
- 1979 Ralph Gerard Award of the Society for Neuroscience
- 1979 International Visual Literacy Association Special Award for 1979
- 1979 Albert Lasker Medical Research Award
- 1980 Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, Rockefeller University
- 1980 American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award
- 1981 Shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine/Physiology
- 1982 Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, Oberlin College
- 1982 California State Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Achievements in Psychology
- 1986 Realia Award of the Institute for Advanced Philosophic Research
- 1987 Mentor Society Award
- 1988 Elected Foreign Member USSR Academy of Sciences
- 1989 National Medal of Science
- 1990 Elected William James Fellow, American Psychological Society
- 1991 Lifetime Achievement Award, American Psychological Association