Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
[all handwritten] Prof. Linus Pauling
Chemistry Dept
California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena, Calif.
Dear Sir:
Some months ago I wrote to you asking about the possibility of doing post doctorate
research with you in the academic year 1952-1953. Sometime after that I met you here
at M.I.T. and discussed with you the possibility of working on the structures of the
[?] nucleic acids. This problem was suggested to me by Prof Shoemaker.
You suggested a couple of ways in which it might be …[?]…possible for me to study
with you at Cal Tech. I started to act on your suggestions, when a teaching position
became available at Amherst College and I was offered one position. After a considerable
amount of deliberation I accepted this position.
This decision was a very difficult one to make. For I have been looking forward to
studying with you for some time and I think that the study of the nucleic acids should
prove to be very fascinating. However I felt that this position at Amherst would give
me some good experience in teaching and in developing a line of research.
While you were here you suggested that I write to Prof. A. R. Todd [?] to ask for
some further information on the structure of the nucleic acids. This I did, and I
have received some reprints of articles published by him in the Journal of the Chemical
Society of London, one of which is particularly pertinent. You no doubt have seen
it, but I shall send it on to you when Prof. Shoemaker has finished with it.
I want to thank you very much for your encouraging interest in this problem. And for
the suggestions you made regarding post doctoral fellowships. I hope I may be able
to meet you again in the near future.
Very truly yours,
Charles M. Apt
Rm 6-131
M.I.T.
