May 25, 1939
Mr. Lester L. Robinson, President
Filtrol Corporation
315 West Fifth Street
Los Angeles, California
Dear Mr. Robinson:
Professor Millikan has turned over to me the question of your establishing a fellowship at this Institute, discussed in your letter of May 16.
I have gone into the question with Professors Lacey and Badger, who were involved in the earlier discussion, and I now wish to suggest for your consideration [on] the following proposal.
It seems to me that from the scientific point of view the most interesting question connected with your work deals with the reason for the difference in properties and behavior of different clays of the same chemical composition after the acid treatment, and it is proposed that a fellowship be established to investigate this point and any other interesting questions that may arise during the course of the work. It seems to me not unlikely that the solution of this problem would ultimately be of considerable practical value also. The investigation would involve the study of the structure of untreated and treated clays, probably with extensive use of x-ray methods, as well as of other physical and chemical methods. We are well equipped with x-ray apparatus, and I have retained my interest in this field since carrying out my early work on the structure of the clay minerals.
The investigation would be carried out under the joint direction of Professor Richard M. Badger and myself. Professor Badger would supervise
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that part of the research involving physical and colloid chemistry and I would supervise the x-ray work.
I believe that it is necessary for the success of the investigation that an able and well trained research fellow be appointed, rather than a graduate student. Because of the interest attached to carrying on work at the Institute, an able young man with the Ph.D. degree in chemistry would probably be willing to accept appointment as research fellow for a stipend of about $1800, which is of course less than the salary usually expected.
The sum required to carry on this work for one year is $3,000, to be expended as follows:
Institute charge for overhead $600
Salary of Ph.D. research fellow 1800
Apparatus and supplies 600
Total $3000
The item of $600 for apparatus and supplies would probably involve the construction of one or two special x-ray cameras in addition to incidental expenses.
The Institute policy in recent years in connection with fellowships of this type is to enter into a contract involving giving the Institute one half interest in patents resulting from the work. I suggest that this be the arrangement which you discuss with your Board of Directors. Professor Badger and I would also want permission to publish in scientific journals any results of scientific value as soon as possible after their examination with reference to the patent situation.
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It would be desirable for an arrangement of this sort to be made for a two-year period, but we would be willing to accept the fellowship for one year.
Sincerely yours,
Linus Pauling, Chairman
Division of Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering
LP/jr
May
25, 1939
