4 September 1953

Dear Peter:

Mama and I reached home safely. We took time in New York to go to the Unitarian Service Committee, and to render an oral report. I still have, however, to prepare a written report on the trip. This will be a chore - but, like many other things that I do, it is something that has to be done, whether I like it or not.

Crellin and Jim Rosoff met us at the plane, when we got in just at midnight, Jim's father was there too - he thought that the boys should not be out so late at night, and he drove us home, with them. Everything is in pretty good shape here, except that along the western side of our property there is a great pile of dirt and rocks, plus a tree stump, etc. The city is putting in sewers, and a sewer line lies in an easement just west of our property line. The sewer contractor dug the trench in such a way as to pile all of the dirt on our place. Also, someone ran into our garage door, and split it from top to bottom. Also, Sierra Madre Villa and Fairpoint Street are both dug up for water pipes and sewers to be put in, and we have to drive between orange trees on Woodruff's place to get in. As a result, I think that Mama will postpone the chemistry tea - there is no place for people to park their cars.

I have found a lot of work to do, on reaching home. You might be interested in a problem that I have had to solve. One of the graduate students had not done his research very well during the past year. At the beginning of the summer I told him that we would give him a stipend during the summer, provided that he made some preparations that we needed, and which were, in fact, closely related to his research, and also provided that he made up a course in which he had done unsatisfactory work. Yesterday I found that he had not made up the course deficiency, and had not made the preparations - apparently because he didn't feel in the mood to do these jobs, and had become interested in something else. He was conscientious enough, however, not to have drawn his salary during the summer too. As a result, I reported to the Dean that he had not made up the deficiencies, and that he should not be admitted as a graduate student during the coming year; accordingly he is leaving.

I enclose your check for 1 September. It is for a smaller amount than usual, because I have subtracted a 5-pound fine plus costs.

Love from

Linus Pauling: W

Encl.