August 15, 1938

Professor John T. Tate

Editor, Physical Review

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dear Professor Tate:

I have been invited to contribute a paper to an issue of the Annalen de Physik which is planned to be a Festband in honor of the seventieth birthday of Professor A. Sommerfeld and I have been planning to accept this invitation. Now I have just received a letter from Professor LaBorte in which he suggests that Sommerfeld's American pupils, and some others, contribute papers to the December 1st issue of the Physical Review, this issue to be considered as an informal congratulatory number.

I feel that it would be incongruous for a Festband for Sommerfeld to appear without a contribution from such a distinguished pupil of his as Pauli, and I accordingly favor the idea, of using the Physical Review for publication of congratulatory papers for Professor Sommerfeld. If it is the decision of you and your editorial Board to permit this, I shall plan to submit a paper to you. On the other hand, my feeling for Professor Sommerfeld is such that I want to be sure to contribute to the celebration of his birthday, and if the congratulatory number of the Physical Review is not to appear, I shall send a paper to the Annalen de Physik. Since the Annalen has requested that contributions arrive by about September 1st, it is desirable that I know as soon as possible what your decision will be and I am accordingly writing directly to you.

Sincerely yours,

Linus Pauling

LP/bcs