January 14, 1947

Sir Robert Robinson

Dyson Perrins Laboratory

Oxford University

Oxford, England

Dear Professor Robinson

I am pleased to have occasion to write to you, in order to tell you how such I am looking forward to spending the better part of the academic year 1947-48 in Oxford, and to thank you and your colleagues for having recommended me for appointment as Eastman Professor. It will be a great opportunity indeed for me to get better acquainted with you and your colleagues, and with Oxford.

It seems to be impossible for me to arrange to leave Pasadena before the end of the first term of 1947-48, and I am accordingly planning to arrange to spend the second term and third term in residence. I propose tentatively to lecture on the nature of the chemical bond during the second term, and on intermolecular forces and biological specificity during the third term. I would appreciate your advice about the matter of the topics of my lectures.

Professor Zechmeister has received a letter from Mr. R. L. Huang, asking if there is a vacancy here for an organic chemist. He is hoping to receive a research fellowship or part-time assistantship. I am afraid that there is nothing that we can offer him. However, in case you feel strongly that we should do our best to arrange for him to spend a year here, please let me know.

Cordially yours,

Linus Pauling

LP:par