Monday, 7 Feb.

Dear Peter,

My god! After something like 2 years, now I'm writing two letters to you in as many days.

Today I received a letter from a Susan M. Allan (Miss) saying that you had suggested she contact me about the possibility of summer employment in our laboratory. What do you think of this chick? We have rather high requirements for technicians ... they must be damn good looking, sexy, pleasant, and so on. It helps if they are capable. It also helps if they know their way about the lab. I don't know if my boss will want to hire someone sight unseen, but I'm sure that he would like a reference from someone who knows her, eg you. So if you can let me know a little about her, I'll see what I can do.

Our lab is molecular biology lab, and the kinds of things that our technicians do are rather routine tasks such as preparation of buffers, preparation of radioactive samples for counting, and so on. A few weeks in our lab would introduce a technician to some of the techniques of microbiology and molecular biology, such as culturing bacteria, doing density gradients with the ultracentrifuge, and so on. There isn't a hell of a lot of chemistry, but the field needs people with a physical chemical background, so if we can gain another convert, so much the better. I honestly can't say much about the probability that we can take her on, but I can't present a very strong case to the boss (who has the grants) without some independent evaluation.

Next week I am going to UC Riverside for an interview. I suspect that Riverside might be a pretty nice place, if it wasn't in such a godforsaken location. We'll see.

After living here for a year and a half, we discovered recently that Norman Cox and family are also here. Last night we went over for supper, and renewed old times. They were in London a week or so ago, but weren't able (obviously) to contact you. I was really pleased to see him again... I haven't seen him since the summer Cheryl was born, that was a long time ago.

Well, enough for now. Write sometime, and let me know about this Allan chick.

Love,

Crellin

February 7, 1966

Dr. Peter Pauling

University College

Gower Street WC 1

London, England

Dear Peter:

I was happy to receive your letter of 24 January.

I am willing to go ahead with the preparation of a high school textbook, on the understanding that you would work in Santa Barbara on it from August or September 1966 until September 1967, as suggested in your letter.

I would be willing to make an advance to you to cover part of your living expenses during the year. I think, however, that it would be better if the publisher were to make the advance, in case that he would be willing to do it. I think that I am committed to W. H. Freeman & Company, under the contract that I have with them for General Chemistry and College Chemistry — there is certain to be some overlapping between the high school text and these books. If W. H. Freeman & Company is not interested, then we could approach another publisher.

There is some question in my mind as to whether or not a book suitable for 0 level and A level schools in Britain would be suitable also in the United States. I would be glad to have your opinion on this matter.

You mention my original financial and royalty offer, but I do not remember what it was. Could you tell me?

I have pretty well got over my sinus infection, and I have been working hard for two weeks on the preparation of my lectures on nuclear structure, to be given in Pomona the end of this month.

Also, I have just succeeded in getting a good nuclear physicist to help me in my work. He is Professor James Raz, of the University of the State of New York in Stony Brook. At present he is on a 5-month appointment, but I think that there is the possibility that he could stay for another year.

Love,

February 7, 1966

Ruth Rosenwald

Hotel Michelangelo

Rome, Italy

Dear Ruth:

Ava Helen and I were pleased to receive your letter. There was some delay in its reaching us, because we were away from Santa Barbara.

I am sure that your visit to Pope Paul will in the long run be of value. The problem of the continuation of the Vietnam War is a terrible one. I believe that it is going to be solved, but only through the efforts of many people.

We thought about your suggestion that we approach Pope Paul, and decided not to act upon it. I feel that Pope Paul might well consider it presumptuous of me, if I were to venture to offer advice to him, and I do not think that there is any possibility that he would agree to collaborative action.

Keep on with your good work. I feel that our best hope now is through the United Nations.

With love,

Linus Pauling