March 21, 1929
Prof. W. L. Bragg
The Physical Laboratories
The University
Manchester, England
Dear Professor Bragg:
I am sorry to say that the Guggenheim Foundation decided not to give me another fellowship. I should like very
much, or course, to come to Manchester to work with you and I am pleased to learn from your letter that you would like me
to come. In view of this, I am going to make the attempt to come any way. I have just had an offer of an associate professorship
in Chemistry at Harvard University and I am going ot Cambridge in about a month in order to look over the situation before
deciding. In case I go to Harvard, it will not be possible for me to get a leave of absence for several years so that I shall
have to give up the idea of a long stay at Manchester but if I stay in Pasadena, there is some chance that I can get a leave
of absence and in addition get money enough from the Institute to spend six months in Europe. In that case, I shall probably
come to Manchester in March, 1930 and stay there till September, except that I might travel on the continent for a month
or so in the summer.
I am very interested to learn about your projects on the density function in the crystal cell on each pinakoid
base. I feel that you are well on the way towards developing a satisfactory straight-forward method of determining structures
of these complicated crystals. My work with crystals has been interrupted this spring by spending two and a half months in
Berkeley delivering a course of lectures on application of the quantum mechanics to the chemists and physicists here. I hope,
however, on returning to Pasadena to carry out the study of an extensive class of oxides occurring as minerals, for I think
that their structures can all be referred to a few simple structures such as though of rutile and brookite.
I shall know in about two months what my future will be and then I shall write you again. I hope
Prof. W.L. Bragg -2- March 21, 1929
very much that I shall be able to come to Manchester for I know I should get a great deal of benefit and inspiration from
being with you.
Very sincerely yours
