February 16, 1961 - Linus Pauling Day-by-Day

Letter from AHP to A.J. Muste, RE: LP and AHP now plan to circulate their petition more widely in order to obtain as many signatures as possible. AHP hopes that Muste will circulate the petition among the F.O.R. chapters and will promote the appeal until mid-April when LP and AHP hope to have thousands of signatures. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from AHP to Frank Williams, RE: AHP asks if Williams and his Methodist Board would consider circulating the petition and supporting it vigorously. LP and AHP hope to have thousands of signatures on the appeal by the middle of April. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from AHP to Guy Emery Shipler, RE: LP and AHP plan to circulate the petition widely and hope that Shipler and The Churchman will be able to help in this endeavor. AHP asks if The Churchman will include the petition in a publication. LP and AHP hope to have collected thousands of signatures by mid-April. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from AHP to Kenneth Hayes, RE: AHP is sending Hayes two books called “Fallout” written by several British authorities in the field. LP and AHP enjoyed seeing Hayes while they were visiting Berkeley and hope to see him again soon. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from AHP to Philip Altbach, RE: AHP is sending Altbach a copy of the press release which LP is making on New York at his presentation of the petition to the United Nations. LP and AHP are hoping that the petition will now be widely circulated. AHP hopes that Altbach can give her the names of the other chapters of the Student Peace Union and other student groups that may be interested in circulating the appeal. AHP regrets that she will not be able to make it to Oberlin College in April because she and LP will be in Europe. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from AHP to Stewart Meacham, RE: LP is in New York to present the signatures to the United Nations. LP and AHP now plan to circulate the petition widely to obtain signatures. AHP is writing to Meacham at the suggestion of Robert Vogel. AHP hopes that Meacham will be ale to promote and circulate the petition. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from AHP to Thomas Hodgkin, RE: LP and AHP hope to have Hodgkin come to the Conference in Oslo and AHP hopes that he will be able to suggest some names of scientists from Africa who may be interested in attending. AHP thanks Hodgkin for sending her a copy of his book, “Nigerian Perspectives.” [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from Christian Bay to LP, RE: Bay is delighted that both Trevor Thomas and Bob Schutz are working with LP on the Oslo Conference. Bay thanks LP for sending him a copy of “Liberation.” [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from Dr. Harold P. Klug, Director of Research, Mellon Institute, to Mrs. Clarke, RE: Dr. Klug is pleased to know that some people will be sending money for a gift, and sends a check to be applied to the gold lapel pin. [Letter from Dr. Klug to Mrs. Clarke, February 10, 1961] [Letter from Dr. Klug to LP, February 28, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (K: Individual Correspondence. (Klein, Samuel-Kusch)), #199.3]

Letter from Ellwood Griest to LP, RE: Griest is sending LP a copy of a letter which was sent out to Brooklyn friends and supporters. Griest hopes to have copies of the appeal to circulate. Griest notes that he was ill during the time of the Chicago Conference and missed seeing LP at the event. [Letter from LP February 23, 1961] [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from George Tarjan, to Mrs. Mary Clarke. RE: Thanks her for her letter. Will not be able to attend. Encloses a check to help in providing the group gift. [Filed under LP Correspondence (T: Individual Correspondence): Box #405 Folder #405.2]

Letter from J.H. Saylor to LP, RE: Wishes LP a happy birthday. The semester which Saylor spent at Caltech with LP in 1941 is among his happiest remembrances. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1960-1961), #381.2]

Letter from Joan Harris to Annamalai University Registrar, RE: Informs Registrar that LP returned the requested Ph.D. thesis last November. [Letter from Annamalai University Registrar, to Professor Ven Hosemann, cc: LP, February 6, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (A: Correspondence 1958-1961) #13.4]

Letter from Joan R. Harris, Secretary to LP, to Elliott S. Topkins, RE: In reply to your letter of February 7, LP has asked Harris to tell Topkins that it is his understanding that Topkins is supposed to develop his own project. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (T: Correspondence, 1956-1963), #411.6]

Letter from Joan R. Harris, Secretary to LP, to Jeff Freiberg. RE: Apologizes for not responding to his letter earlier. Encloses reprints of two of LP’s articles. Recommends that he read No More War!. [Letter from Freiberg October 30, 1960] [Filed under LP Correspondence (F: Correspondence, 1961): Box #129 Folder #129.5]

Letter from John A. Dron, Sr., to LP, RE: Tells LP that he was greatly impressed with his lecture at the University of Santa Barbara. Relates how he has been labeled an alarmist for lecturing on the dangers of nuclear fallout. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (D: Correspondence, 1960-1966), #99.2]

Letter from John T. Sites to LP RE: Asks if there is any possibility of LP’s three films, or others similar to them, that will be made available for classroom use. [Letter from LP to Sites February 22, 1961] [Filed under LP Science: (National Science Foundation: Grants, Exhibits, 1954-1964), Box #14.030, Folder #30.5]

Letter from LP [Signed by Joan Harris] to Joseph Polowsky RE: “Best wishes to you in your efforts to achieve a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the friendly 1945 meeting of the American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River.” [Note from Polowsky to LP February 24, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (P: Correspondence, 1960-1963), #314.2]

Letter from LP to Brenda M. Harris, Students Administration Council, University of Toronto. RE: Informs her that the title of his speech will be ‘Causes of Aging and Death’. Thinks there will be enough about nuclear war to justify its sponsorship by the Combined Universities Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by LP, 1961) Box #1961s, Folder #1961s.10]

Letter from LP to Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary General of the United Nations. [Filed under LP Peace: (An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, 1961), Box #5.011, Folder #11.10]

16 February 1961

Dear Mr. Hammarskjold:

Three years ago we presented to you a petition to the United Nations urging that an international agreement to stop the testing of nuclear bombs be made. This petition was signed by 11,021 scientists, of 49 countries.

We now submit to you the accompanying petition, which urges that the present nuclear powers not transfer nuclear weapons to other nations or groups of nations, that all nations not now possessing these weapons voluntarily refrain from obtaining or developing them, and that the United Nations and all nations increase their efforts to achieve total and universal disarmament with a system of international controls and inspection such as to insure to the greatest possible extent the safety of all nations and all people.

This petition is submitted by us and by our 708 cosigners, whose names accompany the petition, as individuals. No organization has been responsible for the planning or the writing of the petition or for the collection of signatures.

During recent months we have become more and more concerned about the trend of world affairs, which has seemed to us to be such as to be leading to an increase in the danger of a devastating world war. One month ago we decided to take action. We wrote the Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, which is the petition that we are submitting to you, and on 15 January 1961 we sent copies of the Appeal to some of our fellow scientists and other friends and acquaintances in many countries and to some people whose names we obtained from reference books, with the request that they sign, as expressed in the following letter:

In response to these letters we received within less than one month the signatures of over 700 people, of 38 countries. Among the signers are 38 Nobel Laureates, 110 Members and Foreign Associates of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, 102 Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society of London, and 21 members of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., as well as other distinguished men and women in many countries.

We feel that the problem of achieving international control of armaments, leading ultimately to total and universal disarmament, would be greatly complicated and increased in difficulty if many nations or groups of nations were to have stockpiles of nuclear weapons. We hope that the spread of nuclear weapons to more nations or groups of nations can be delayed long enough to permit an effective attack to be made on the problem of achieving peace and disarmament in the world.

Sincerely Yours,

[Linus Pauling]

P.S. At the last moment I have included twelve more names making the number of signers 720.

Letter from LP to Dr. David Little, Chairman on Program for American Society of Anesthesiologists, RE: Agrees to speak at an October society meeting if he is allowed enough time to expound his theory of anesthetics. Mentions a paper in progress on the subject. [Letter from Dr. David Little to LP, February 8, 1961] [Letter from Dr. David Little to LP, February 23, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (A: Organizational Correspondence) #11.15]

Letter from LP to Edward Eichel, RE: LP send his best wishes for a successful meeting. He is pleased to be listed as an honorary sponsor, and sends an article published in the Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin, in the hopes that they can use paragraphs from it. [Letter from Mr. Eichel to LP, February 10, 1961] [Letter from LP to Mr. Eichel, April 11, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (E: Correspondence, 1960-1969), #113.2]

Letter from LP to Francis Hoague RE: Writes about the books that he has written and mentions that AHP would like to be a co-plaintiff in the suit. Encloses a biographical sketch of himself and the manuscript of his East Berlin speech. [Letter from Hoague to LP February 13, 1961] [Filed under LP Biographical: (Pauling v. Bellingham Publishing Company, 1960-1963, 1965), Box #3.001, Folder #1.8]

Letter from LP to George F. Wright, University of Toronto. RE: Informs him that he will be in Toronto for a few days. Asks if he could visit the Chemistry Department. Could give an informal seminar if they were interested. [Reply from Wright February 22, 1961] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by LP, 1961) Box # 1961s Folder #1961s.10]

Letter from LP to George Tselos RE: LP is sorry that his plans for the spring have changed in a way which will prevent him from coming to Carleton University. LP will be in Europe in April and May. [Letter from Tselos to LP February 12, 1961] [Filed under LP Peace: Materials re: Fallout and Radiation Shelters, and Civil Defense, 1954-1961: Box #7.007, Folder #2.22]

Letter from LP to J. G. Sourwine, Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, RE: Says he has succeeded in locating the three morocco-bound volumes sent to him in January. Requests to see proofs of the revised printed record of his October 1960 hearing. [Letter from Sourwine to LP February 10, 1961] [Filed under LP Books: Unpb12.1]

Letter from LP to John Fischer, Editor, Harper’s Magazine, RE: Sends a manuscript in the form of a letter to the Editors of Harper’s Magazine. However, Mr. Fischer may prefer to consider it as a short article for publication. If LP needs to amplify any of his statements, he would glad to do so. Handwritten at the top: “not sent”. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (H: Individual Correspondence. (Ha-Hu)), #164.1]

Letter from LP to Lucille Cunningham, RE: LP’s schedule is too full to accept the offer, but he will be speaking in Sacramento on April 3rd. [Letter from Lucille Cunningham to LP, February 11, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (C: Correspondence, 1961-1962), #76.1]

Letter from LP to M. Kent Wilson, RE: LP talked about the Chemical Bond Approach text with Livermore and hopes to pass more ideas on to Wilson later on, but he is too busy to work on that right now. LP has no suggestions to make for a chairman for the chemical engineering department at Tufts University, but he is asking Professor Lacey if he might have a suggestion. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W: Correspondence, 1960-1962), #445.2]

Letter from LP to Morley Coodin, RE: LP wishes that he could come to Winnipeg, but the tour is completely booked, and he doesn’t feel like he will have any free time until the fall. However, he doesn’t want to book anything that far in advance. [Telegram from Morley Coodin to LP, undated] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (C: Correspondence, 1961-1962), #76.1]

Letter from LP to Mrs. Walter Rogers, Victory Library, RE: Tells Rogers that he is opposed to her suggestion that home-made Geiger counters, like the one made by Lawrence Walker, should be built and made available to the public, because it is too difficult to make them reliable. Explains that he is also opposed to fallout shelters and civil defense measures because money could be better spent on decreasing the dangers of war. [Letter from Rogers to LP February 10, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence (R: Correspondence, 1960-1963), #342.2]

Letter from Linda Hopkins, Secretary to LP, RE: LP has asked Hopkins to tell Waxman that LP hasn't had any experience with mass spectrographs, and therefore cannot be of any help to Waxman. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W: Correspondence, 1960-1962), #445.2]

Letter from Professor G.B. King, Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, to LP, RE: Dr. Jerry Donohue has expressed an interest in the position of Chairman of the Department of Chemistry at Washington State University and gave LP’s name as a reference. Professor King would like any comments that LP has regarding Dr. Donohue. [Letter from LP to Professor Gardner Stacey, February 17, 1961] [Letter from Mrs. Joan Harris to Professor King, February 23, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (D: Individual Correspondence. (Dil-Dyson)), #96.10]

Memorandum from Ivan F. Betts to R. B. Gilmore, cc: LP, RE: Encloses the original “Notification and Statement of Grant Award” for U.S.P.H.S. Grant No. H-3136(C3), “Molecular Chemistry Applied to Biology and Medicine,” for Central Files. [Filed under LP Science: (United States Public Health Service: (Assorted Grants, 1954-1964), Box #14.042, Folder #42.2]

Memorandum from LP to Dean Lacey, RE: Do you have any suggestion to make to Kent Wilson in regards to the hiring of a chairman for the chemical engineering department at Tufts University? [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W: Correspondence, 1960-1962), #445.2]

Newspaper Clipping: “Dag Gets Pauling’s Plea to Curb A-Arms,” New York Post, February 16, 1961. [Filed under LP Biographical: (LP Scrapbooks, 1961-1965), Box #6.008, Folder #8.22]

Typescript: “A United Nations Petition Against the Spread of Nuclear Weapons.” [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: (Manuscripts and Typescripts of Articles by LP, 1961), Box #1961a, Folder #1961a.6]

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