Linus Pauling note to self concerning biological specificity. May 16, 1952. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: Letter from Anne Walters of the Huntington Hartford Foundation to LP RE: writes in approval of LP speaking out against the attack made on his personal integrity due to the State Dept. denial of him a passport. Hopes to hear about further action being taken in LP's support. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: Notes by LP RE: Interview recorded by Mr. Kennealey 10 to 11 AM Mon, May 12, 1952 including 5 questions for LP in regards to his attempt to obtain a passport from the State Dept. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: Several copies of a letter from LP to Senator Paul H. Douglas RE: writes to inform Senator Douglas about his recent passport difficulties involving the State Dept. Sends copies of a statement in response to the matter, of a political statement made the year before, and of a letter to President Truman. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: copy of letter from LP to Professor A.R. Todd, FRS of the University Chemical Laboratory RE: writes in response to Prof. Todd's letter of May 6, 1952. Mentions his disappointment in not being able to travel to England due to passport problems and goes on to discuss scientific matters relating to his work on proteins. Encloses some copies of additional letters and statements. [Letter from Prof. Todd to LP May 6, 1952]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: letter from LP to Prof. Sir Robert Robinson of The Dyson Perrins Laboratory RE: thanks him for writing a letter to the Times about LP's inability to attend the Royal Society discussion meeting. Goes on to discuss his work on proteins. Also expresses enthusiasm to learn that the Solvay Conference for 1953 will be on proteins. [Note from Sir Robinson to LP May 5, 1952]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: letter from LP to Professor Charles Goulson, F.R.S. of King's College, Strand, London RE: thanks him for the letter and goes on to describe his passport ordeal in relation to his not being able to speak at the King's College colloquium. Mentions his work on orbitals for multiple bonds. [Letter from Prof. Goulson to LP May 3, 1952]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: letter from [illegible signature] to Dr. Lee A. DuBridge [cc: LP] RE: applauds Dr. DuBridge for standing up for LP in a Los Angeles Times article. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from LA Examiner titled "Pauling Raps Passport Ban: Caltech Man Denounces U.S. Refusal of Trip to London." [photo of LP with protein model]
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from Los Angeles Herald & Express titled "Prof. Pauling Hits State Dept. Ban On England Visa."
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from Pasadena Star-News titled "Plans No Appeal For Passport: But Pauling Repeats Denial He's Communist" discusses LP's denial of a passport to go to England for a Royal Chemical Society conference on protein structures. Many quotes by LP.
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from The Los Angeles Daily News titled "Caltech scientist refused passport; raps State Dept." addresses LP's refusal of a passport for a trip to England for the Royal Chemical Society conference on protein structures.
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from The Los Angeles Times titled "Dr. Pauling Denied Passport by U.S.: Suspicions of Communist Ties Cause Ban on Travel Permit, Caltech Chemist Says."
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from The Los Angeles Times-Mirror titled "Famed Caltech Chemist Denied Passport As Communist Suspect" discusses LP's denial of a passport for his trip to England for a conference held by the Royal Chemical Society.
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from The New York Times titled "Passport is Denied to Dr. Linus Pauling; Scientist Assails Action as 'Interference'."
• Letter from Carl Niemann to Prof. Weldon G. Brown, cc: LP RE: "May 15 satisfactory, suggest travel by air..." [Note in pencil on lower right, "May 19, 2 weeks."] [original letter from Prof. Brown to Carl Niemann April 30, 1952] [Filed under B: Correspondence 1952, Box #37, Folder #19]
• Letter from Edward C. Reifenstein, Jr. of Conferences on Metabolic Interrelations to LP RE: requests permission to reprint figures from one of LP's papers for use in their publication entitled "Transactions" of the Fourth Conference on Metabolic Interrelations, 1952. [Letter of response from LP to Dr. Reifenstein, Jr. May 20, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #340, Folder #17].
• Letter from LP to Irvine H. Page, Cleveland Clinic, RE: Would like to give a speech as requested on May 29, 1952. Goes on to give specifics regarding his travel plans. [Filed under LP Speeches: 1952s.8].
• Letter from LP to Irvine Page, RE: LP is pleased to be coming to speak in Cleveland at the end of May. LP notes that his two talks on the Biological Specificity of Proteins and the Molecular Structure of Proteins are related, but yet are different enough to be two independent lectures. [Page’s letter May 11, 1952] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by Linus Pauling, 1952), Box 1952s, Folder 1952s.8]
• Letter from LP to Mr. William F. Sheehan, Jr. RE: in response to Mr. Sheehan's note, LP advises that he not make any additional changes to his thesis on valence-state energies and dissociation limits. Goes on to discuss the work of Prof. Schomaker concerning the anomalous phase shift on scattering of electron waves by heavy atoms. [Note from Mr. Sheehan to LP May 7, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #378, Folder #6].
• Letter from LP to Prof. Professor Alexander Todd, University of Cambridge. [Letter from LP to Prof. A. Todd May 6, 1952, letter from Prof. Todd to LP February 10, 1953] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #407, Folder #6]

  May 12, 1952

  Professor A. R. Todd, F.R.S.

  University Chemical Laboratory

  Pembroke Street

  Cambridge, England

  Dear Alex:

  I am glad to have your letter of 6th May. Ava Helen and I are still feeling very disappointed that we could not have our visit in England. I must say that I am astounded that the State Department should have refused me a passport, after I had pointed out clearly that the visit to England was to be purely for scientific purposes - especially since the principal reason for the trip was to take part in the Royal Society discussion meeting. We hope that the present situation will not continue into the future, and that we shall be able at some future time to visit you.

  I am pleased to have you say that you will not allow your new government job to cripple your scientific work (I do not think that you should call it your ordinary scientific work - it seems to me to be extraordinary).

  We are only rather slowly beginning work in the field of nucleic adds and nucleoproteins, but I hope that in another year or two the work on ordinary proteins will have progressed so far as to justify our turning our attrition largely to nucleoproteins. Will you send me reprints of your papers on nucleic acids, especially those in which you discuss your new ideas about the bonding?

  Corey is now in England, and I hope that you will talk with him. I do not know what part of this month he plans to spend in Cambridge, but I think it very likely that he will come to see you.

  Right now we are working hard on the structure of silk fibroin. We have found a structure that, so far as the calculations have gone yet, accounts essentially perfectly for the observed intensities of x—ray diffraction. If the remaining calculations give as good results, we shall have, for the first time in the history of proteins, a protein structure which has been tested by completely detailed comparison of observed and calculated x-ray intensities. Our structure involves alternation of glycine residues and other residues, principally alanine; we have not taken into consideration the side-chain atoms other than the β-carbon atoms.

  Professor Todd 5/12/52

  There is a faint superstructure, which seems to be due in the main to the presence of occasional serine residues - perhaps every sixth residue in each polypeptide chain is a serine residue. However, it seems unlikely that the structural basis of the superstructure, involving these rarer amino acid residues, can be determined without a great deal more work.

  I enclose a copy of a statement that I made about my passport, a letter that I sent to President Truman, in an effort to get the original decision changed, and a statement about my political beliefs that I made last year.

  With best regards, also to Alison and the children, I am

  Sincerely yours,

  Linus Pauling:W

• Letter from LP to Senator Hubert H. Humphrey RE: writes to Senator Humphrey about his problems obtaining a passport from the State Dept. that would enable him to travel to England to participate in the Royal Society meeting on proteins. Sends his statement about the matter, a copy of his earlier letter to President Truman, and his statement about his political beliefs. Explains himself thoroughly in the letter. [following letter from LP to Senator Humphrey May 23, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #163, Folder #5].
• Letter from LP to Senator Wayne Morse RE: writes in response to his daughter, Linda Pauling, protesting to Senator Morse against the action of the Department of State refusing LP a passport. Gives Senator Morse more information about the matter, including copies of his letter to Pres. Truman, his statement made about his political beliefs and a paper he prepared describing the circumstances of the refusal of the passport. Mentions statements that were made by members of the Royal Society. [three copies of this letter included in the file] [Letter from Senator Wayne Morse to LP May 23, 1953] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #250, Folder #2: file (Morse, Wayne)].
• Letter from LP to the Editors of Nature RE: writes in response to their request that he send them a copy of his discourse of the Structure of Proteins that he was scheduled to deliver at the Royal Institution. Unfortunately he was refused a passport and so was unable to give the speech. [Letter from Editors of Nature to LP April 18, 1952].
• Letter from Prof. S. W. Hockett of Bonewitz Chemicals, Inc., to LP RE: requests advice on what facilities are available at Caltech for research students in infrared absorption problems, esp. in the field of "fingerprinting." [Letter of response from LP to Prof. Hockett May 16, 1952] [Filed under H Correspondence: 1952, Box #166, Folder #3]
• Letter from Walter R. Kirner, of the National Science Foundation, RE: Requests that LP review Proposal No. 249, submitted by Dr. George Duffey of South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, for a research proposal from the foundation. Encloses some suggested points to consider when evaluating a proposal. [response from LP May 21, 1952] [Filed under LP Science: Box 14.029, Folder 29.1]
• Pauling Scrapbook: Los Angeles Examiner article entitled "Pauling Raps Passport Ban" RE: discusses LP being refused a passport to England to give a speech to the Royal Society of London. Attributes the whole matter to the McCarran Act, and says that it interferes with the progress of science. [picture of LP with a protein structure model included with the article]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Box 6.006, Folder 6.24]
• Typed research notes on MCr3O8. [Filed under LP Science: Box 10.003, Folder 3.5]