Letter from Linus Pauling to Henri Levy. January 26, 1950. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 1 p.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Check from AHP to Hayne Heating Service for $13.40. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1948-November 1950; 1960-1962), Box #4.019, Folder #19.2]
• Check from AHP to Preben Kent for $50.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1948-November 1950; 1960-1962), Box #4.019, Folder #19.2]
• Letter from David P. Shoemaker, Caltech, to R. H. Bogue, Director, Portland Cement Association Fellowship, RE: Proposes arrangements for the lecture that Professor Hedvall will give in Pasadena. [Letters from Bogue to LP January 5, 1950, January 23, 1950, and February 15, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (H: Correspondence, 1950), #166.1]
• Letter from Frances V. Benner, Special Assistant, American Chemical Society, to Gentlemen, Mobile Pensacola, New Mexico, and Texas-Louisiana Sections, American Chemical Society, RE: Encloses a copy of the LP’s itinerary for his lecture tour and writes that LP has offered to speak on either “The Valence of Metals and the Structure of Intermetallic Compounds,” “The Structure of Antibodies and the Nature of Serological Reactions,” or “The Structure and Stability of Inorganic Complexes.” The abstracts of LP’s lectures will soon follow. Also writes that LP plans to travel by automobile and needs to take several side trips to fulfill other obligations. Requests the local sections reply if the are able and willing to have LP speak at their meetings. [Letter from Benner to LP January 26, 1950, letter from LP to Benner January 31, 1950] [Filed under LP Science: (American Chemical Society: Correspondence, 1950-1964), Box #14.006, Folder #6.2]
• Letter from Frances V. Benner, Special Assistant, American Chemical Society, to LP RE: Writes that it is possible to post pone the last five engagements for a few days and that his revised schedule has been announced to the local sections. Also requests that he send copies of his abstracts because they do not have any record of the abstracts from his previous lecture tour. [Letter from LP to Benner January 17, 1950, letter from Benner to Local ACS Sections January 26, 1950] [Filed under LP Science: (American Chemical Society: Correspondence, 1950-1964), Box #14.006, Folder #6.2]
• Letter from J. A. Swartout, Director of the Chemistry Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to LP RE: Discusses arrangements for the symposium in August. As for the question of security clearance, Swartout expresses his distress about this matter. [Letter from LP to Swartout January 31, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (L: Correspondence, 1950), #230.16]
• Letter from LP to Henri A. Levy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [Letters from Levy to LP January 24, 1950 and February 3, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (L: Correspondence, 1950), #230.16]

  January 26, 1950

  Dr. Henri A. Levy

  Chemistry Division

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  Post Office Box P

  Oak Ridge, Tennessee

  Dear Henri:

  I am sorry to learn from your letter that you think it likely that it would not be possible for me to visit the laboratory at Oak Ridge while assisting as a consultant in the scientific program of the laboratory and while taking part in the seminar in August.

  As I said to you and the other members of your group when the question of my serving as a consultant was brought up, I do not want to serve as a consultant on scientific questions under study at the laboratory if it is not possible for me to be in the laboratory and to see the apparatus. It was stated then that this would require security clearance, and I agreed to come under these conditions. I want to repeat that I think it would be a waste of effort on my part to attempt to serve as a consultant without having knowledge of the nature of the apparatus being used. I had not in the past received classified information in this field, and it has been my opinion that no need had arisen to justify my receiving it, until the proposal was made that I be a consultant on the scientific work of the laboratory. My interest in this field of science is great enough to have caused me to be willing to accept the burden of receiving classified information in order to be of assistance to you in connection with this scientific program.

  I accepted the informal invitation to attend the seminar on modern chemistry because of the feeling that this activity in August would be of value in connection with my later service as a consultant. While your letter is not explicit on the point, it gives me the impression that you are not planning to press the request for security clearance. If this is right, I believe that it would be wise for me to give up the idea of having an Oak Ridge connection.

  Our work is going along very well here, I think. We believe that we have discovered the principal structural characteristic of many globular proteins - that is, the principal way in which the polypeptide chain is folded in these proteins. Also we are continuing to make good progress in getting a better understanding of the nature of sickle cell anemia.

  Cordially yours,

  Linus Pauling

• Letter from W. H. Freeman to Kenneth S. Pitzer, Director of Research, U.S. Atomic Energy Comission, cc. LP and Schaefer, RE: Expresses his hope that his company will be able to publish a book by Pitzer and encourages Pitzer to discuss this matter with him. [Letter from Freeman to LP January 26, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1950), #439.8]
• Letter from W. H. Freeman to LP RE: Asks LP for his opinion of E. E. Snell of Wisconsin. [Letter from LP to Freeman February 2, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1950), #439.8]
• Letter from W. H. Freeman to LP RE: Thanks him for the letter. States that he thought that it would be best not to identify Pitzer’s manuscript in the letter because he might fear that it came from his Guggenheim application and he might not want that information revealed. Encloses his letter to Pitzer. [Letters from LP to Freeman January 16, 1950 and January 30, 1950 and Letter from Freeman to Pitzer January 26, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1950), #439.8]
• Letter from W. H. Freeman, cc. LP to Margherita Minchilli, Universita Adriatica (Italy), RE: States that LP has forwarded Minchilli’s letter to him. Informs her that the rights for an Italian edition of the book have already been granted. [Letter from LP to Minchilli January 20, 1950] [Filed under LP Books: 1947b6.2]
• Letter from the President of the University Club of Pasadena, to LP RE: States that it was a great pleasure to have LP and AHP at their meeting on January 12, 1950. States that they were very happy to learn about the important research that is being conducted at the Institute in the areas of chemistry and medical research. [Filed under LP Speeches: 1950s.1]
• Memo from LP to David Shoemaker, Caltech, RE: Discusses the carbide and carbon report. LP and Dr. Waser have submitted an article, “Interatomic Distances, Compressibilities, and Force Constants of the Elements,” in the Journal of Chemical Physics. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Shoemaker, David P.), #363.3]
• Newspaper Clipping: “New Device Tells How Much Oxygen is Present in Air”, Toledo Blade, January 26, 1950. [Filed under LP Biographical: Scrapbooks, 1946-1950: Box #6.005, Folder 5.51]