Letter from Linus Pauling to Detlev W. Bronk. March 28, 1952. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• AHP writes cheque: to: Market Basket amount: $24.05 [Filed under LP Biographical: Box #4.021, Folder #3]
• LP Political: Passport Problems, Jan-March 1952: Letter from LP to Professor Roger Adams of the U. of Illinois RE: LP sends a copy of his letter to President Truman regarding LP's pursuit in obtaining a passport. Also includes a copy of his letter to Bronk. Asks for advice and help from Prof. Adams as the Foreign Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences. [related letter from LP to Bronk March 28, 1952]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.5]
• LP Political: Passport Problems, Jan-March 1952: letter from LP to Dr. Detlev W. Bronk, President of the National Academy of Sciences. [related letter from LP to Prof. Roger Adams March 28, 1952]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.5]

  March 28, 1952

  Dr. Detlev W. Bronk, President

  National Academy of Science

  2101 Constitution Avenue

  Washington, D.C.

  Dear Det:

  May I ask you to take action, as President of the National Academy of Sciences, about the matter of the issuance of a passport to me, in the following way - that is, if it is not too great an inconvenience for you.

  I should like to know whether the President is going to answer my letter of February 29, 1952, to him, in order that I may know what to do about the Royal Society of London. I should also like to have your advice, and possibly that of Roger Adams, the Foreign Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences, as to what I should do. You remember that the principal reason for my trip to England is to attend the discussion conference of the Royal Society on the structure of proteins, to be held in London on May 1. In fact, the date was changed to May 1 in order to permit my attendance. It is my understanding that the protein structures that Professor Corey and I have suggested are to be the principal subject of discussion at the meeting. Because of these circumstances, and because I am a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (as you are also), I feel that it is especially important that I be present at the meeting. It is for this reason that I did not notify the Royal Society when I received the letter from Mrs. Shipley saying that a passport was not being issued to me, but instead wrote to the President, asking that the decision be reconsidered.

  I may say that I do not plan to engage in any activities other than purely scientific ones on this trip. I might, of course, raise the question as to whether I should not have the privilege of discussing social and political questions with other people; but the fact is that I do not propose to do so. My plans are as follows. My wife and I propose to fly from New York on April 27 by B.O.A.C. arriving in London on April 28. The Society for Visiting Scientists has arranged to hold a reception for my colleague Professor Robert B. Corey and me, at 5 Old Burlington Street, on Wednesday, April 30. I may point out that the Honorary Presidents of the Society for Visiting Scientists are the President of the Royal Society and the Chairman of the British Council, and that Sir Harold Spencer Jones is the President and Chairman this year - I do not think there could be any objection to my attending this reception. Then I plan to take part in the royal Society Conference on Proteins on May 1. I am scheduled also to give a Friday Evening Discourse at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, on Friday, May 16. I have been invited to give a talk on the structure of proteins at Oxford University, and it is not unlikely that I would give a similar talk at Cambridge University, although I have not been invited to do so. I propose to stay for one week in Cambridge, from May 14, to May 21, with Lord Rothschild. At present my wife and I plan to stay in London until May 14, to spend then a week or two in Oxford, and the remaining time at Leeds, where much work on proteins is being carried out, and perhaps at other British universities. Our only activities, aside from sightseeing, would be to discuss scientific questions with people in these places.

  I hope very much that it will not be necessary for me to inform the Royal Society that I cannot be present at the special discussion meeting on the structure of proteins on May 1. It is for this reason that I ask if you could make inquiry at the White House about the fate of my letter. If it turns out that the passport is not going to be issued to me, I ask that you advise me as to the best way to break the news to the Royal Society.

  Let me say that I appreciate deeply your efforts in my behalf.

  Sincerely yours,

  Linus Pauling:W

• LP Political: Passport Problems, Jan-March 1952: letter from Louis Levine of the Department of the Navy Office of Naval Research to LP RE: writes to LP in response to their telephone conversation about LP's problem of attempting to obtain a reversal of the State Department's decision against issuing him a passport. Writes that he is doing all that he can to help and that he has also spoken to Dr. Koepfli about the matter. [Letter from LP to Dr. Louis Levine March 21, 1952]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.5]
• Letter from Beatrice Wulf to G.H. Vineyard, RE: Wulf outlines LP travel plans for his trip to the University of Missouri. Wulf notes that there are some difficulties with the rail system and asks for Vineyard’s advice on this matter. Wulf requests that Vineyard make hotel reservations for LP and AHP. [Vineyard’s reply April 1, 1952] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by Linus Pauling, 1952), Box 1952s, Folder 1952s.6]
• Letter from Dr. Jurg Waser to LP RE: requests that LP give a talk explaining the recent developments in protein structure at Rice Institute. [Letter of response from LP to Dr. Weser April 2, 1952].
• Letter from George Guthrie, Jr., Physical Chemist at the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, to LP RE: follows up on LP's visit to the Bureau, asks a few chemistry questions regarding the thermodynamic properties for elementary sulfur. Questions such as : "what is the barrier to internal rotation about the sulfur-sulfur bond?," and "what is the energy needed to open the ring in S8?" [enclosure included giving the Thermochemical Data for the Equilibria in Sulfur Preliminary Correlation] [Letter of response from LP April 1, 1952] [Filed under G: Correspondence 1952, Box #140, Folder #16]
• Letter from J.B. Culbertson to LP, RE: There are no trains that are running between Columbia and Mount Vernon in the times that LP needs. Culbertson will arrange to have a college car sent to pick up LP at Columbia and take him to Mount Vernon. The college will provide accommodations while LP is visiting and Culbertson would like to know if AHP is still planning to attend as well. Culbertson would like to know the title of the lecture LP plans to give. [LP’s telegram March 27, 1952] [LP’s reply April 2, 1952] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by Linus Pauling, 1952), Box 1952s, Folder 1952s.7]
• Letter from Linus Pauling Jr. to LP and AHP RE: Personal letter detailing his move to Hawaii and birthday events. [Filed under LP Science: Box 2.013, Folder 13.62]
• Letter from Miron Morrill to LP, RE: Morrill is sure that Culbertson is writing to LP today to figure out transportation issues. Morrill is wiring LP’s public relations office to ask for biographical materials and a photograph of LP. Morrill also would like to know where LP plans to go after Cornell so that arrangements can be made. [LP’s reply April 1, 1952] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by Linus Pauling, 1952), Box 1952s, Folder 1952s.7]
• Letter from Mr. Ben May to LP RE: Sends an article on the Spontaneous Healing of Sickle Cell Anemia Ulcer in Pregnancy. [Letter from LP to Mr. Ben May March 10, 1952, letter from LP to Mr. Ben May April 2, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #244, Folder #5 (May, Ben)].
• Letter from Raymond M. Fuoss to LP RE: won't be able to attend the Protein Substitutes meeting on April 22, 1952. [Filed under LP Science: Box 13.004, Folder 4.3].
• Letter from W. N. Lacey to C. G. Niemann, cc: Mrs. B. Wulf [LP] RE: Lacey makes recommendations for tuition scholarships and graduate teaching assistantships. [Filed under: LP Biographical, Box 1.018, Folder 18.2]
• Note from Dr. M. Simonetta to LP RE: sends back LP's paper "Alkali Halides..." and offers to do some calculations on the subject or on alkali halides in gas phase. Brings up a matter about adding a note to the end of the "J.C.Ph" paper. Also sends a reprint. Mentions Prof. M. G. Evans and the possibility of LP visiting Italy. [Letter of response from LP to Dr. M. Simonetta April 2, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #378, Folder #6].
• Telegram from J.B. Culbertson to LP, RE: “Trains impossible. Will meeting you in Columbia with college car." [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by Linus Pauling, 1952), Box 1952s, Folder 1952s.7]