Letter from Linus Pauling to Arthur J. Hill. May 29, 1956. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Check from AHP to Byron Hopper for $22.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Check from AHP to Linda Pauling for $100.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Check from AHP to Phelps-Terkel for $27.93. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Check from AHP to Sierra Madre Beauty Salon for $5.50. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Check from LP to First Western Bank and Trust Company for $1005.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Check from LP to Hoelscher's for $49.40. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Commercial Account Counter Check from First Western Bank for LP for $400.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Letter from Gustav J. Martin, National Drug Company, to LP RE: Invites LP to address the New York Academy of Sciences conference on Proteolytic Enzymes meeting. [Letter from LP to Martin July 11, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (M: Correspondence, 1956), #257.1]
• Letter from Hiden T. Cox, American Institute of Biological Sciences, to LP RE: Expresses disappointment that LP cannot serve as editor of the published volume of the symposium "Molecular Structure and Biological Specificity" and asks for a recommendation for another editor. [Letters from LP to Cox May 21, 1956, July 5, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (A: Organizational Correspondence (Am - Am)), #10.3]
• Letter from J. Donald Jenkins, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, to LP RE: Addresses LP as his "co-searcher for truth" from R. K. Strong's class of 1919. Requests that LP come to Milwaukee to give a talk to the American Chemical Society section there. [Letter from LP to Jenkins July 13, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (J: Correspondence, 1956), #192.22]
• Letter from J. M. Hill, Wadley Research Institute & Blood Center, to LP. [Letter from LP to Hill July 25, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (H: Correspondence, 1956), #167.1]

  29 May 1956

  Professor Arthur J. Hill

  Sterling Chemistry Laboratory

  Yale University

  New Haven, Connecticut

  Dear Professor Hill:

  I am writing to ask if there is any chance of our making some use of the pyrimidines and pyrimidine derivatives synthesized by Professor Treat B. Johnson.

  Professor Robert B. Corey and I have become interested in the problem of the detailed molecular structure of pyrimidines and purines, because of its relation to the problem of the structure of nucleic acids. So far there have been very few satisfactory x-ray studies of crystals of pyrimidines. Only a half dozen pyrimidines have been investigated, and most of the investigations have been carried out in such a way that the atomic positions have not been determined with the accuracy that is possible with modern methods. Corey and I think that we should arrange to have several careful structure determinations made of some interesting pyrimidines.

  It is difficult to say which of the substances synthesized by Professor Johnson would be best for this purpose. An important quality is the ease of crystallization of the substances. There is also an element of chance that enters, in that a substance may crystallize with a small unit of structure, or with a very short axis of the unit in one direction, and hence be well suited to x-ray investigation, or it may happen to crystallize with a very large and complicated unit of structure. In general predictions cannot be made about this from the formula.

  I have asked Professor Harned whether or not you have a collection of substances synthesized by Professor Johnson. If you have a collection of these substances, I should like to ask if you would be willing to lend the entire collection to us for a few months. We could examine the substances, and probably eliminate about three quarters of them immediately; these could be returned to you without delay. The others might be subjected to preliminary x-ray studies or attempts at crystallization, and then returned to you, as the results of these preliminary studies indicated them to be unsuitable.

  Professor Hill Page 2 29/5/56

  I may say that if this arrangement could be made, almost all of each sample probably could be returned to you. If one of the samples happens to contain crystals suitable to x-ray investigation, it might be necessary only for us to select one of these crystals, weighing a fraction of a milligram, and use it for the x-ray work. If a substance had to be recrystallized, the recrystallization might be carried out with perhaps 100 mg, and the recrystallized material also could be returned to you, except for a few small crystals used in the x-ray studies.

  Our interests in the substances synthesized by Professor Johnson do not overlap those of any other group, except that Cochran in the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge has been making some studies of this sort, using pyrimidines and purines given to him by Professor Todd.

  I hope very much that you have the substances that were synthesized by Professor Johnson, and that you feel that you can lend them to us for this purpose.

  We are enjoying the visit of Professor Harned here.

  With best regards, I am

  Linus Pauling:W

  cc: Professor Corey

  Professor Harned

• Letter from Josephine C. Neal, McGraw-Hill Book Co., to Beatrice Wulf, Secretary to LP, RE: Thanks Wulf for her May 23 letter and enclosed corrected manuscript of LP's chapter for the book on modern chemistry. [Letter from Wulf to Neal May 23, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (McGraw-Hill and Co.), #253.7]
• Letter from LP to Arthur F. Scott, Reed College, RE: Discusses Wendell Wilkie, Jr. as a possible candidate for president of Reed College. Recommends Professor John A. Simpson as a suitable candidate for president of Reed College and outlines Simpson's history and credentials. [Letter from Scott to LP April 17, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Reed College), #339.4]
• Letter from LP to Dr. Normand L. Hoerr, Anatomy Dept., Western Reserve University, RE: Gives his permission to reproduce Figure 9-3 of General Chemistry. Has sent Hoerr's letter to W.H. Freeman to see if he has any objection. [Letter from LP to Freeman May 29, 1956] [Filed under LP Books: (General Chemistry: An Introduction to Descriptive Chemistry and Modern Chemical Theory, Second Edition), #1953b2.2]
• Letter from LP to Dr. William R. Bergren, Biochemistry Research Laboratory Children's Hospital, RE: States that Dr. Huisman would be welcome at Caltech to give a talk in October. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (B: Correspondence, 1956), #38.2]
• Letter from LP to Prof. Arthur J. Hill, Yale University, RE: Inquires about the pyrimidines and pyrimidine derivatives synthesized by Prof. Treat B. Johnson. Explains that he and Prof. Robert Corey are interested in the molecular structure of pyrimidines because of the relation to the structure of nucleic acids. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Hill, A. V.), #159.4]
• Letter from LP to Professor B. Roger Ray, Chemistry Dept., University of Illinois, RE: Thanks Ray for driving LP and AHP to Springfield and for mailing the package of books. Has been busy writing his Avogadro talk. Will leave tomorrow night for Rome and return on July 4. Has thought about lipoproteins and if someone who is interested in proteins comes to work in the laboratory during the coming year, may ask Ray for some material. [Letter from Ray to LP June 6, 1956] [Filed under LP Speeches: 1956s.11]
• Letter from LP to Professor Hans Neurath, School of Medicine, University of Washington, RE: Robert B. Corey and LP have finished their paper for the Linderstrom-Lang Festschrift. Expects to have the drawings completed and photographed in time to get the completed manuscript to Neurath by June 10. Neurath should write to Corey if he would like to have the manuscript without the drawings before that time. [Letter from LP to Neurath February 11, 1956] [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: 1956a.7]
• Letter from LP to R. D. Lowde, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, RE: Discusses the topic of ferromagnetism and asks for Lowde's opinion on an issue regarding a magnetized iron crystal. Poses a question regarding a Heisenberg-type localized-electron model. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (L: Correspondence), #231.2]
• Letter from LP to Robert Burns Woodward RE: Congratulates Woodward on his election as Foreign Member of the Royal Society. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Woodward, Robert Burns), #438.8]
• Letter from LP to Te-Pang Hou, Chinese Chemical Society, RE: Regrets that he and AHP cannot come to China in August or give a series of lectures for the Chinese Chemical Society. [Telegram from Hou to LP April 5, 1956, Letter from Hou to LP August 4, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (H: Correspondence, 1956), #167.1]
• Letter from LP to W.H. Freeman, W.H. Freeman and Company, Publishers, RE: Encloses a letter from Dr. Hoerr. [Letter from LP to Hoerr May 29, 1956] [Filed under LP Books: (General Chemistry: An Introduction to Descriptive Chemistry and Modern Chemical Theory, Second Edition), #1953b2.2]
• Letter from LP to William Moffitt, Harvard University, RE: Expresses disappointment at Moffitt's decision to decline the invitation to join the staff at Caltech. Discusses personal plans and the appointment of Howard Dintzis as assistant professor. [Letter from Moffitt to LP April 30, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (M: Correspondence, 1956), #257.1]
• Letter from Paul A. Beck, University of Illinois, to LP RE: Discusses work on CsCl-type ordered structures of transition elements. [Letter from Beck to LP May 4, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (B: Correspondence, 1956), #38.2]
• Memo from LP to Prof. Harrison Brown, cc: Prof. Bergman, Prof. Neimann, Prof Yost, RE: Requests that Brown teach a course in Radiochemistry during the 1956-57 year. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Brown, Harrison), #32.4]