Letter from Linus Pauling to Ralph Hultgren. October 19, 1959. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

<   October  1959   > S M T W T F S         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Activity Listings

• Check from AHP to Merton B. Briggs for $20.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2]
• Check from LP to AAAS for $8.50. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for $10.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to American Phys. Society for $58.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #24.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to Animal Reviews for $7.28. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to California Institute of Technology Bookstore for $67.42. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to California Institute of Technology for $369.53. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to California Institute of Technology for $5.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Check from LP to National Academy of Science for $10.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Itinerary [handwritten]: AHP to leave Baltimore at 7 PM, arrive in Los Angeles at 8:05 PM [Filed under LP Travel: Box #1.002, Folder 2.5]
• Letter from James Kudell to LP RE: Says he is studying physics at the University of California and read of his research into the biochemical nature of disease, says it has interested him ever since, asks if LP thinks if the nature of the aging process can be discovered in the next 40 years, and thanks him for his kind consideration as well as appreciation for and references to individuals or groups currently engaged in that research. [Letter from LP to KudellOctober 28, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (K: Correspondence, 1959), #201.3]
• Letter from LP Mr. And Mrs. Alloy, RE: LP is pleased to see the comment made by Professor Barrows Dunham. LP is also enclosing a photograph of himself. [Alloy's letter October 1959] [Filed under LP Peace: (Materials re: Strontium-90, June 1959-November 1959), Box #7.012, Folder #12.17]
• Letter from LP to Barney L. Taylor RE: Discusses his own observations about light refraction and the prism in response to Taylor's ideas about the topic. Focuses especially on experiments involving the refraction of blue and red light. [Letter from Taylor to LP October 1, 1959, Letter from LP to Taylor October 21, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (T: Correspondence, 1959), #411.4]
• Letter from LP to David W. H. Stewart, Pergamon Press Ltd., RE: Grants Stewart permission to include his paper on "The Nature of the Forces Operating in the Process of the Duplication of Molecules in Living Organisms" in the popular edition of "Origin of Life." [Letter from Stewart to LP October 13, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1959), #380.3]
• Letter from LP to Ing. V. Sterba, Research Institute for Org. Syntheses, RE: Says that a reprint of his paper at the Kekule symposium will be sent to Sterba when they become available. Informs that the third edition of The Nature of the Chemical Bond will soon appear. [Letter from Harris to Sterba October 6, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1959), #380.3]
• Letter from LP to M. Kent Wilson, Tufts University, to LP RE: Explains his high opinion of Martin Karplus. Says he is a very able man and his work and teaching abilities are excellent. [Letter from Wilson to LP October 2, 1959] [Filed under LP Books: Unpb.8]
• Letter from LP to Marianne Smith. RE: Thanks her for her letter. Comments on one of the statements. [Letter from Smith October 13, 1960] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1960) #381.1]
• Letter from LP to Mason Rose RE: Thanks Rose for the pamphlet he sent about India's social revolution. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (R: Correspondence, 1959), #341.5]
• Letter from LP to Mrs. Marion Thompson RE: Comments on Thompson's manuscript about a plan to reclaim the North African Desert. Says it is too vague and superficial to carry conviction. Suggests that she prepare an article for publication in a magazine. [Note from Thompson to LP October 9, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (T: Correspondence, 1959), #411.4]
• Letter from LP to Mrs. Paul Saksa RE: Sympathizes with Saksa about the loss of her son. Describes causes of defects such as Leukemia in infants and the possibility of Strontium 90 being one such cause. [Note from Mr. and Mrs. Saksa to LP August 29, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1959), #380.3]
• Letter from LP to Philip B. Armstrong, State University of New York, RE: Discusses his opinion of Don Ridgeway's demeanor and work experience. Explains that Ridgeway is well qualified in molecular biology. [Letter from Armstrong to LP September 29, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (R: Correspondence, 1959), #341.5]
• Letter from LP to Professor David Rapport, Physiology Department, Tufts University School of Medicine RE: Says is pleased to give his opinion of Dr. Christine Jardetzky, tells about his experience with her and her research, makes some comments about his doubts for her making any breakthroughs in her subject but says he may be unduly pessimistic, says he didn't see much of her work with other people but thinks she would fit in well with his group. [Letter from Rapport to LP October 1, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Jardetzky, Oleg and Christine), #188.3]
• Letter from LP to Professor David Todd, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute RE: Says he has just seen his letter after a trip east, returns the letter from Watt, says he became disgusted with the ACS in 1953 after Madame Joliot-Curie showed him her letter from them, says he is still disgusted with them but would feel differently if they made a direct apology to the Radium Institute, and says he and AHP were happy to spend time with Albert Schweitzer. [Letter from Todd to LP September 29, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Joliot-Curie, Iréne,), #190.4]
• Letter from LP to Professor J. W. Stout, Editor, Journal of Chemical Physics, Institute for the Study of Metals, University of Chicago RE: Returns the manuscript on trimethylphosphine, and says he is not completely satisfied with it but says he is now willing for it to be published in the Journal of Chemical Physics. [Letter from Stout to LP October 7, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Journal of Chemical Physics), #191.5]
• Letter from LP to Professor Ralph Hultgren, Minerals Research Laboratory, Institute of Engineering Research, University of California in Berkeley. [Letter from Hultgren to LP October 1, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Hultgren, Ralph), #163.3]

  19 October 1959

  Professor Ralph Hultgren

  Minerals Research Laboratory

  Institute of Engineering Research

  University of California

  364 Hearst Mining Building

  Berkeley 4, California

  Dear Ralph,

  I have been interested to read your report on the alloys of silver and palladium.

  I think that the discussion on page 13 is not quite as I would give it. The radius of sliver for valence 6 is given in table 6 of my 1949 paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, by interpolation between 5 and 7, as 1.328 A. The value for radius 5.5 is 1.342 A. These are the single-bond radii. When corrected for bond number, they become 1.418 and 1.442, respectively. The second of these corresponds to the observed lattice constant for silver, and the first to a value O.067 A less, that is, about 4.01 A. I would accordingly expect that the lattice constant for alloys with between 0 and 40 percent silver would lie on the line connecting the lattice constant of palladium with the value 4.01. Then I would expect that the slope would change, heading toward the value 4.08. As you point out, the observed deviations from Vegard's law are in the right direction, but only about thirty percent of predicted.

  I do not know why there is not agreement with the predicted values. Perhaps there is only partial electron transfer, rather than complete.

  You will note that the equations 11 in the paper give the dependence of atomic radius on electronic number of the atom, with the term -0.043 z. I have usually interpreted this equation as meaning that z is the number of outer electrons in the neutral atom, and that the same expression is to be used, with the same value of z, when there is electron transfer. I judge that your statement on page 13 i3 based upon the assumption that z is the actual number of outer electrons in the atom, which is contrary to the definition as given in my paper and the usage that I have made of the equation.

  I have just got back from Cornell, where I spent two weeks giving the Messenger Lectures. I had planned to write to you about Neilen before leaving, but then, when I talked with him, I thought that I would wait until my return. He probably has told you about the action that he has taken. His situation, which seems to have taken him by surprise, is the following. During the last year and a half it has been evident to me that he was not making very good progress in completing his thesis, and I tried in a number of ways to apply some pressure to him. Professor Corey and Professor Niemann also made similar efforts. These efforts were not successful, however, and it became clear to me, about a month ago, when I found that he had not got very much done during the summer, that he would not be able to finish his thesis during the fall term. When I looked into the matter, I found that the Institute regulation about the number of terms of graduate residence allowed a student would apply to him at the next registration—he would not be allowed to register again, in January, unless he obtained special permission of the graduate committee of the Institute, and Professors Niemann and Swift felt that the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering could not be able to make a very strong recommendation for him. Accordingly we talked the matter over with Neilen. Professors Niemann and Swift suggested that he apply for leave of absence at the present time, and I pointed out to Neilen that if he were to be given leave of absence now, he could work on his thesis until he had reached the point where he felt that the thesis could be completed in three months. He could then return, as a registered graduate student, for one term, without having to get special permission, and obtain his degree, after submitting the thesis and taking the examination. I have not seen Professor Niemann since getting back from Cornell, but I suppose that Neilen followed this advice, and has obtained leave of absence. I may say that Professor Niemann told me that he thought that the leave of absence would be given with a condition for reregistration later—namely, that Neilen in the meantime take a job. We have the feeling that it may be good for Neilen to have a regular routine to which he is required to adhere.

  I may say that I think that Neilen should have no trouble with his doctoral examination. He seems to have real difficulty in settling down to the research that must be completed to constitute his thesis. This is a theoretical study of hybridization of bond orbitals in the hydrogen molecule ion and hydrogen molecule.

  Also, I should tell you that Neilen has done an excellent job in handling his freshman chemistry section. He has been completely reliable so far as attendance at the meetings of the section goes, and I judge that his relationship with the students has been very good.

  I have felt, as has also Professor Niemann, that Neilen might really not be interested in science. His actions—his failure to settle down to work on his research and also his failure to read any of the scientific literature— suggest this; but Neilen himself says that he is interested in science, or at any rate that there is nothing else that he has a greater interest in. This summer he seems to have spent most of his time playing chess or arranging that other people play chess. I judge that he has had good personal contacts in this, and that he has not been retiring within himself.

  I am hoping to see Neilen soon, and to find out what his plans are for the next few months.

  With best regards, I am

  Sincerely yours,

  Linus Pauling:jh

• Letter from LP to R. Mankiewicz, International Civil Aviation Organization, RE: Responds to Mankiewicz's inquiry about the suspension of nuclear tests in the U.S.S.R. Describes the complexity of the issue. [Letter from Mankiewicz to LP October 5, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (M: Correspondence, 1959), #258.1]
• Letter from LP to Ralph Torraca RE: Says he thinks the television program with Norman Thomas and Mr. Kahn went well. Comments on improvements he could have made in the program. [Note from Torraca to LP October 5, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (T: Correspondence, 1959), #411.4]
• Letter from LP to Robert Gould, Chemical and Engineering News, RE: Says he will be pleased to prepare a review of Christian Anfinsen's book, The Molecular Basis of Evolution. [Letters from Gould to LP October 5, 1959, October 22, 1959] [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: 1959a2.1]
• Letter from M. Slade Kendrick, New York State College of Agriculture, to LP RE: Informs that LP's check has been mailed. Thanks LP for his outstanding performance. [Letter from LP to Kendrick October 23, 1959] [Filed under LP Speeches: 1959s3.5]
• Letter from Malcolm L. Peterson, Scientists' Committee for Radiation Information, to LP RE: Explains that he has made accommodation reservations for LP and AHP on the Rockefeller Institute campus. Requests that LP meet with the committee during his visit. [Letter from LP to Peterson October 21, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (P: Correspondence) #313.7]
• Letter from Professor Sidney W. Fox, Oceanographic Institute, The Florida State University, to LP RE: Encloses photographs and asks for LP to autograph them. [Letter from Harris to Fox October 27, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Fox, Sidney), #120.11]
• Telegram from Marvin Gewirtz, New York Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, to LP RE: flight reservations for October 24th [Filed under LP Travel: Box #1.002, Folder 2.5]