Letter from Linus Pauling to E.F.G. Herrington. August 3, 1955. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 1 p.  View Transcript

<   August  1955   > S M T W T F S   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Activity Listings

• Check from AHP to R. Walbridge Pool Company for $27.50. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1954-February 1956), Box #4.023, Folder #23.1]
• Check from AHP to Tom Matsumoto for $49.27. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December1954-February 1956), Box #4.023, Folder #23.1]
• Check from AHP to Wm. Bawden for $22.50. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1954-February 1956), Box #4.023, Folder #23.1]
• Letter from Col. S. C. Guillan, T.D., Secretary, The Institute of Metals, to LP RE: Dr. Ivor Jenkins requested that LP reconsider his decision to decline writing a review on "Bonding in Metals" for Metallurgical Reviews. Since LP has not responded, they are assuming that LP feels unable to reconsider his decision. The committee is taking steps to invite an alternate author to prepare this review. [Letter from Jenkins to LP April 21, 1955, Letter from LP to Guillan August 24, 1955] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (M: Correspondence, 1950-1955), #256.6]
• Letter from Gretta West, Secretary to Professor Hans Neurath, Biochemistry Dept., University of Washington, to LP RE: Neurath is in Brussels attending the Third International Biochemical Congress. Will present a paper before the Faraday Society next week and should return shortly after the middle of August. Neurath will contact LP then. Neurath will surely be honored by the invitation to speak at the Symposium, but may not be available during those dates. [Letter from LP to Neurath July 29, 1955, Letter from Neurath to LP August 9, 1955] [Filed under LP Speeches: 1955s.24]
• Letter from LP to Dr. David Pressman, Director of Cancer Research in Biochemistry, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, RE: Pleased that Pressman will be able to participate in the Molecular Structure and Biological Specificity Symposium. Details regarding the program and the time allotted for each part will be sent later. Office of Naval Research will let Pressman know about travel funds. Fine for one or two of Pressman's men at Roswell to attend. [Letter from Pressman to LP July 29, 1955, Letter from Reynolds to Pressman September 1, 1955] [Filed under LP Speeches: 1955s.24]
• Letter from LP to Dr. E.B. Chain, Instituto Superiore di Sanita, Italy, RE: Thanks Chain for his letter. Will correct his discussion on the discovery of penicillin as it becomes possible to change the plates of the book. Agrees that this provides a striking illustration of the value of basic research. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (C: Correspondence, 1921-1957), #74.23]
• Letter from LP to Dr. E.B. Chain, Instituto Superiore di Sanita, Italy, RE: Will correct his discussion of the discovery of penicillin in General Chemistry as soon as it becomes possible to change the plates of the book. Two copies of letter. [Letter from Chain to LP June 13, 1955] [Filed under LP Books: (General Chemistry: An Introduction to Descriptive Chemistry and Modern Chemical Theory, Second Edition), #1953b2.1]
• Letter from LP to Dr. E.F.G. Herrington, Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chemical Research Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, England. [Letter from Herrington to LP August 9, 1955] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (H: Correspondence, 1950-1955), #166.6]

  3 August 1955

  Dr. E. F. G. Herrington

  Chemical Research Laboratory

  Teddington, Middlesex, England

  Dear Dr. Herrington:

  I have been interested to read your letter in Nature of 9 July 1955, entitled "A New Class of Compounds Containing the Pentacyanoferrate Group and an Unpaired Electron." In this letter you say that the iron is present in the bivalent state, and that the nitrogen atom carries an unpaired electron. I do not see why you have not described these compounds as involving iron in the trivalent state, with the pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom, in place of the unpaired electron. If an electron were to be transferred from bivalent iron in nitrogen, the iron would increase its oxidation number by one unit and the nitrogen atom would have a pair of electrons, in place of the single electron. So far as I can see, you do not have any evidence in support of the structure that you have described, over the more reasonable structure with tripositive iron and a pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom.

  Sincerely yours,

  Linus Pauling:L

• Letter from LP to Dr. Harrison Shull, Chemistry Dept., Institute of Mechanics and Mathematical Physics, Uppsala University, Sweden, RE: Interested to see Shull's letter with Dr. Lowdin, in the Journal of Chemical Physics on the Role of the Continuum in Superposition of Configurations. Describes the history of the complete set of orthogonal functions which Shull describes in the letter. Langer's work is an early example of an error caused by neglect of the continuum functions. [Letter from Shull to LP August 11, 1955] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1953-1956), #379.3]
• Letter from LP to Dr. L.L. Whyte RE: Looks forward to seeing Whyte on August 18 at 10:30 AM to discuss Whyte's new address. [Letter from LP to Whyte April 5, 1955] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W: Correspondence, 1953-1959), #444.3]
• Letter from LP to Kurt Nassau RE: Pleased to provide advice to Nassau regarding how he should prepare himself for work in the field of chemistry in relation to biology. Suggests that Nassau may not want to work toward a Ph.D. in biochemistry in a biochemistry laboratory. Instead, he should work toward a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, perhaps at Caltech. Describes the Caltech graduate program. Also suggests Harvard and the University of Utah. [Letters from Nassau to LP June 15, 1955, August 20, 1955] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (N: Correspondence), #287.22]
• Letter from R.D. Morgan, Department of Mental Hygiene, to LP RE: Shares Dr. Tarjan's opinion that LP's draft of the application to the Ford Foundation is first-rate. Morgan has a few minor suggestions to offer to improve the application. Morgan was also delighted to find his name mentioned in the application and hopes that he will have the time and ability to make a worthwhile contribution to the program. [Filed under LP Science: Orthomolecular Medicine and Mental Health: Materials re: Ford Foundation grants for the study of mental disorders, 1955-1966: Box #11.089, Folder #89.2]
• Letter from Stanley W. Wright, MD, University of California Medical Center to LP RE: Thanks for the copy of the application and states he was impressed with it. Mentions a typographical error and looks forward to seeing him soon. [Letter from LP to Wright July 27, 1955] [Filed under LP Science: Box #11.088, Folder #88.1]
• Memo from LP to Dr. Jesse W. M. Du Mond, Caltech, RE: Thanks Du Mond sending the copy of his new paper on atomic constants. LP is pleased to have it since he is working on the revision of his book, The Nature of the Chemical Bond, and will want the best values. Notes that on page 56 the name Sackur is misspelled in two places. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (D: Individual Correspondence. (Dil - Dyson)), #96.18]
• Research Notebook of LP RE: Calculations regarding heats of formation of MX(g) from M+ + X- pp. 13. [Filed under LP Research Notebooks: 20R]