Thomas Hager Papers, 1898-2010

Thomas Hager (born 1953) was raised in the Portland, Oregon area. After receiving master's degrees in medical microbiology/immunology and journalism, he began his professional career as a communications intern at the National Cancer Institute. He then worked as a freelance medical writer, contributed regularly to American Health, and became the West Coast news correspondent for the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In 1983, Hager's career began to move more towards editing and publishing. He was founding editor of LC Magazine, a trade publication for scientists, and edited Oregon Quarterly for ten years. He also worked for a number of years as director of communications and marketing at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, during which he restarted the University of Oregon Press. More than 100 of his articles have been published in periodicals ranging from Reader's Digest, the Wall St. Journal, and Self, to American Health, Cardio, and the Medical Tribune.

Hager has also had a hand in writing about a dozen books, including Aging Well (with Lauren Kesley, Fireside Press, 1990), The Alchemy of Air, Linus Pauling: Scientist and Peacemaker (edited with Clifford Mead, Oregon State University Press 2001), and Force of Nature: The Life of Linus Pauling. Currently, Tom Hager lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife and three children.

The Hager collection is divided into seven series.

Series 1 - Force of Nature: Subject Files and Research Materials is divided into a number of subseries including Scientific Topics, People, Peace Activism and Political Controversy, Linus Pauling - Personal and Family, and General Research. A wide range of assorted archival materials collected by Tom Hager while researching Force of Nature can also be found in this series.

Series 2 - Force of Nature: Interviews: Audio Cassettes and Transcriptions contains the audio recordings and transcripts of interviews conducted by Tom Hager in his development of Force of Nature. Also contained in this series are various audio-visual materials related to Pauling's life and to Hager's promotion of Force of Nature.

Series 3 - Force of Nature: Administrative Records is comprised of correspondence, contractual agreements and editing notes compiled by Tom Hager while researching and writing Force of Nature. The administrative records include correspondence between Hager and prospective publishers, annotated draft chapters, promotional materials, and reviews of the completed book.

Series 4 - The Demon Under the Microscope: Subject Files and Research Materials is divided into a number of subseries including Scientific Topics, People, Institutions, and Gerhard Domagk - Personal and Family. A range of assorted research materials collected by Tom Hager while researching The Demon Under the Microscope can also be found in this series

Series 5 - The Demon Under the Microscope: Administrative Records is comprised of correspondence and editing notes compiled by Tom Hager while researching and writing The Demon Under the Microscope. The administrative records include bibliographical information, correspondence between Hager and various institutions, speech notes, manuscripts, promotional materials, and index card outlines of chapters.

Series 6 - The Alchemy of Air: Subject Files and Research Materials is divided into a number of subseries including Scientific Topics, People, and Institutions. A wide range of assorted research materials collected by Tom Hager while researching The Alchemy of Air can also be found in this series.

Series 7 - The Alchemy of Air: Administrative Records is comprised of correspondence, contractual agreements and editing notes compiled by Tom Hager while researching and writing The Alchemy of Air. The administrative records include correspondence between Hager and prospective publishers, annotated draft chapters, promotional materials, and reviews of the completed book.