Letter from Linus Pauling to Arthur B. Lamb. July 18, 1941. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 1 p.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Letter from F.A. Gilfillan, Chairman, Administrative Council, Oregon State College, to LP RE: Requests LP act as their delegate to the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the University of Chicago on September 27-29, as president Ballard will be unable to make the trip. [Letter from LP to Gilfillan August 4, 1941] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #136.10, file:(Gilfillan, F.A.)]
• Letter from LP to Arthur B. Lamb, Editor, JACS. [Letter from Lamb to Lp June 27, 1941] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #191.1, file:(Journal of the American Chemical Society)]

  July 18, 1941

  Professor A. B. Lamb

  Harvard University

  Cambridge, Massachusetts

  Dear Professor Lamb:

  I think that there is no essential disagreement between Prof. Fajans and me as to the facts regarding his note on "Ionic radii and interionic distances". Our difficulty is that this is a very large subject, on which a book might be written, and in our letters and remarks he and I select different facts and different points of view for discussion, and hence do not reach concordance of opinion.

  I have said that in his note Prof. Fajans has not presented anything new--that the material had been published by him before and discussed by other people. I believe that, in a broad sense, this statement is true. On the other hand, the particular data chosen for discussion had not before been treated in just this way by Prof. Fajans (although they had been discussed from alternative points of view by other people); accordingly Prof. Fajans is right in saying that the note does contain new material. The data are not new; the suggested explanation is not new; the conclusion "The above shows that— the systematic study of deviations from additivity of lattice distances can also give valuable information concerning the interionic forces" is not new; but the precise combination given in the note is new.

  Prof. Fajans writes that he could hardly be expected to mention the alternative explanation of the data in his short note. I think that to omit mention of this would give the reader a completely wrong impression of the state of the subject. The subject is so large and complex that a significant and satisfactory brief note cannot be written. Thus Prof. Fajans' argument fails to be convincing because he has not made any corrections for coordination number (the way to do this is given in detail in Zachariasen's paper) or for radius-ratio effects (as made in Pauling's paper). A discussion which ignores these corrections without mentioning the reason for ignoring them is valueless.

  It seems to me that since hundreds of pages have been published on "ionic radii and interionic distances" during the last twenty years a suggested re-interpretation of the data would need to be given in detail. A long paper on the subject might well be accepted for publication.

  Yours very truly,

• Letter from LP to Verner Schomaker RE: Thanks him for information about MS which he used for a lecture. Reports he is feeling well and is driving to the Indiana Dunes. [Letter from Verner Schomaker to LP July 11, 1941] [Filed under California Institute of Technology: Materials re: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 1933-1963, No Date: Box #1.024, Folder 24.9]
• Letter from Rev. Paul Leo to LP RE: States that he has been searching for families for the sons of Mr. Albert Schoenflies and has found homes for two of the boys. Asks if LP has found anyone willing to take them in. [Letter from Albert Schoenflies to LP March 24, 1941] [Filed under LP Correspondence: #358.1]
• Letter from SN Bagchi to LP RE: Outlines position and work experience because it is his desire to work in theoretical chemistry especially on the application of quantum mechanic to chemical problems. Praises LP for his work and would love to work with him. Requests information on how long it takes to get a PhD and relevant fees. [Letter from LP to SN Bagchi October 28, 1941] [Filed under LP Biographical: (CIT: Materials re: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 1915-1944), Box #1.019, Folder #19.7]
• Note from LP to Arthur Lamb, Editor, JACS, RE: Comments on the paper “Isomerization of Polymers” by H.H. Strain and recommends that it not be published in its present form. Discusses papers brought to his attention by Dr. Zechmeister. [Letter from Lamb to LP June 30, 1941, from Zechmeister July 15, 1941] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #191.1, file:(Journal of the American Chemical Society)]
• Postcard from Charles N. Rudhim [?] and Mrs. Ellen D. Rudhim [?] to Pasadena Chapter of Federal Union, RE: plans to participate in Motorcade and attend party at the Assistance League. [Filed under AHP: Federal Union, Pasadena Chapter: Box # 5.007, Folder 7.4]
• Record of LP's diet while ill with nephritis. Breakfast: 1 c orange juice, 1 gadget, 1 sq butter, 4 T cream, 2 c coffee / Lunch: 3 egg omelette, 1 c milk, 1 sq butter, 1 wh pear / Dinner: 2/3 cherry mint cocktail, 1 c milk, 2 c corn, 1 pear, 1 sq butter [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #3.1, file:(Record of LP's diet while ill with nephritis kept by Ava Helen Pauling, 1941-1942.)]
• Writes cheque to “S Fe. Tickets. 148.00, 8.95" $156.95 [LP Biographical: Business and Financial 4.072, folder 72.3]