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Letter from Linus Pauling to Warren Weaver. November 26, 1934.
Pauling writes that he is sorry to learn of Weaver's illness. Adds that he is enclosing his grant application and feels that it is unlikely that the hemoglobin problem can be solved in one year; as such, he is asking for a three-year commitment.

Transcript

November 26, 1934

Dr. Warren Weaver,

The Rockefeller Foundation,

New York.

Dear Dr. Weaver:

I am sorry to learn (from Dr. Hanson) of your illness, and that it has prevented your Middle West trip.

Your letter arrived this morning. I am enclosing my application for a grant of ten thousand dollars a year for the three-year period 1935-8, for support of biological importance. The Trustees of the California Institute have pledged themselves to provide to provide a fund of five thousand dollars a year during this period to be used for fundamental investigations related to the biological program. Professor Millikan is writing separately regarding this.

The hemoglobin problem is a very difficult one, and I consider it unlikely that we can obtain results providing a real test of our methods in one year. On the other hand, I am confident that within three years we could obtain very valuable information regarding the structure of the hemoglobin substances, the nature of the bond to gloving, the process of addition of oxygen, etc. For this reason the application has been made for a three year period, and I hope that you will think it desirable and find it possible to consider it on this basis. If a grant is made to us for one year only, however, I am sure that we can make good progress in that period. I am anxious to begin applying our structural ideas in a direct attack on the interesting biological problems.

I was pleased to meet and talk with Dr. Hanson. I am hoping to see him and you in New York next April, on coming East to the National Academy meeting.

Very sincerely yours,

Linus Pauling

LP:M

Enclosure

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