June 7, 1945
Dr. Reuben Wood
Ford, Bacon and Davis, Inc.
Maryland Research Laboratories
P.O. Box 2706
Washington 13, D.C.
Dear Reuben:
Dave Shoemaker has just told me that Dr. Beckman has received permission from the OSRD to talk about the oxygen meter before the American Chemical Society in Berkeley next week. We are accordingly writing to the OSRD, asking permission to discuss the meter in chemistry seminars here at Caltech, and also asking blanket permission to publish papers describing the meter, its method of operation, and its construction and uses. I believe that permission will be obtained, although it might be necessary to submit each manuscript to the OSRD for approval. We are also asking permission to discuss the meter with interested persons.
I would be glad to have your opinion about the matter of publication; that is, about the way to prepare manuscripts, and the authorship. My suggestion is that I prepare a brief manuscript, perhaps only two or three pages, to be published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by three of us (you, Holmes, and I). I have asked Dave to prepare one or two detailed manuscripts, which should, I think, have as authors you, Holmes, and Dave. One of these manuscripts might be published in Reviews of Scientific Instruments or Journal of Applied Physics (perhaps those are combined - I am not sure), and the other in the Analytical Edition of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
Please let m know what you think of this scheme, and send me any suggestions you have as to how it should be changed. Do you think that we should ask Dr. Beckman to collaborate with you, Holmes, and Dave in writing the detailed article, in order that descriptions of the special meters that he makes might be included?
Sincerely yours,
Linus Pauling
LP:gw
cc: Dr. J. H. Sturdivant
David Shoemaker