February 8, 1961 - Linus Pauling Day-by-Day

Letter from Alice Frank Bryant to LP, RE: Bryant is busy campaigning for peace with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Bryant is sending LP a copy of an article titled “What Were Lenin’s Words?” Bryant thanks LP and AHP for their courageous efforts for peace. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from Dr. David Little, Chairman on Program for American Society of Anesthesiologists, to LP, RE: Invites LP to present his theory of anesthetics to the society in an October meeting. [Letter from LP to Dr. David Little, February 16, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (A: Organizational Correspondence) #11.15]

Letter from George Getze, Los Angeles Mirror, to LP, RE: Thanks LP for the letter, which is to appear on June 3, Sir Isaac Newton and Sigmund Freud. At last count it had been picked up by 53 newspapers in the United States, several in England, one in Ireland, and one in Canada. He asks that LP’s secretary write a little note of encouragement with LP’s autograph to a coworker’s daughter, who is interested in science. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (G: Correspondence, 1957-1961), #141.5]

Letter from Gwendolyn Wynter Shackleford to LP, RE: Shackleford has been on tour in Nigeria since October 1960 and has just returned to find the appeal. Shackleford hopes that it is not too late to add her signature to the appeal. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from James Warburg to LP, RE: Warburg does not want to be a sponsor of LP’s petition for universal disarmament. While he supports the efforts to work towards disarmament he must decline to sign. [Filed under LP Peace: (SANE: Materials regarding Dodd Committee Investigation and Subsequent Controversy Over Membership of Communists in SANE, 1960-1962), Box #4.004, Folder #4.3]

Letter from Joan R. Harris, Secretary to LP, to Clennie B. Sharp. RE: Is sorry to tell her that LP has not been able to go over the transcript of his talk to the California Library Association yet. Will send her ten copies once he does. [Letter from Sharp February 2, 1961] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by LP, 1960) Folder # 1960s2 Box #1960s2.13]

Letter from John H. Myhre, Rural Electrification Administration, to Tom Neff RE: Writes that the area Neff described that is interested in obtaining electricity probably could not sustain a separate electrical system and they should check with the California Public Utilities Commission to see if the area has been assigned to the power company for service. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Deer Flat Ranch: Correspondence, 1957-1995), Box #4.047, Folder #47.1]

Letter from K.S. Pitzer to LP, RE: Pitzer thinks that the more difficult task in the near future will be to secure appropriate controls during the process of disarmament. Pitzer maintains that if there is no solution to this problem then he has no concern with respect to the modest defense force needed for policing purposes. [Letter from LP February 6, 1961] [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from LP to Fritz Lipman, RE: LP hopes that Lipman will reconsider signing the appeal as LP does not believe that there is anything objectionable about the appeal. LP notes that he is not completely out of touch with the new administration however, it is not likely that he will have an official part in it. [Letter from Lipman February 7, 1961] [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from LP to Galen Cranz, RE: LP is pleased to be asked to send a discussion on nuclear disarmament. Sends a copy of his record on fallout and nuclear warfare. [Letter from Galen Cranz to LP, January 30, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (C: Correspondence, 1961-1962), #76.1]

Letter from LP to George Baty, RE: LP is too busy to speak at the Humanist Society of Bowling Green State University. [Letter from George Baty to LP, March 3, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (B: Correspondence, 1958-1961), #39.4]

Letter from LP to John Raeburn Green RE: Encloses his copy of the proofs of his second hearing before the Internal Security Subcommittee. Explains that he has not received the revised proofs and that it is his understanding that the material Senator Dodd added afterwards will be changed from italic font to ordinary type. [Letter from Green to LP February 9, 1961] [Filed under LP Biographical: (Pauling v. Globe-Democrat Publishing Company, 1960-1967), Box #3.003, Folder #3.2]

Letter from LP to Professor Thomas R.P. Gibb, Jr., Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, RE: LP was pleased to receive the paper. He thinks that there is much to be learned about this topic. However, an equation at the end is not the one that he would have used, and he is sending a reprint to clear up any confusion. [Letter from Professor Gibb to LP, January 31, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (G: Correspondence, 1957-1961), #141.5]

Letter from Linus Pauling, Jr. to Peter Pauling. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Family Correspondence: Linus Carl Pauling, Jr., 1957-1974), Box #5.038, Folder #38.3]

8 February 1961

Dear Pete

Well, finally. You see, if you are patient and wait long enough, anything can happen. So, here's a letter. You should know that I have not written anyone at all during all this time, so my silence has no specificity to you, only to my miserable non-literary bent this year. So, so much for your fancy theories. However, I'll forgive you this time! Even for all those nasty names you called me.

First, perhaps Mom has written you that she and some others are planning a surprise 60th birthday party for Pop, and thought that it would be nice for him if his offspring could be present. Anita and I, agreeing, have decided to help with the transportation cost, which is quoted to me as being $768.92 tourist round trip jet London-LA. That is US cost, and may be somewhat different there. You can give me back the difference, or I will supply more, depending on who has the higher taxes.

That is for one ticket only, meaning that we are limiting our contribution to natural issue, but does not mean that spouses aren't invited. It's up to you financially.

Anita won't be coming on this trip, feeling unable to leave the kids behind. She's looking forward to the summer already, though.

Then, second, we want to give you all a Christmas present, and decided that perhaps some money would be most useful, and are therefore including $500 in the check. I hope it comes in handy.

We too are happy that Joy is happy, and are looking forward to seeing her and John Kendrew (whom Anita has met but I have not). We hope to spend some time with them and get to know him better. I'm sorry about Jonk, because I like him too, but maybe that friendship can continue on even without Joy as an intermediary. More about that when I see you.

What about that tape recorder or something else that I was going to give you? Should I just give up and send you some money instead? Then it would be up to you.

What about your instrument manufacturing business? Are you in production? How about selling me some stock?

So, until February 28th, when I hope I see you. Meanwhile Happy Birthday yourself, and we've got a lot to talk about.

Our love to Julia, and to Thomas and Sarah. We'll see them all next summer, we hope.

Much Love

[Linus Pauling, Jr.]

Letter from Lise Meitner to LP, RE: Meitner does not feel that she can be a sponsor of the conference because she does not feel that she has the technical understanding needed to discuss the issues. Meitner wishes LP a successful Conference. [Reply from LP March 9, 1961] [Filed under LP Peace: (Oslo Conference Against the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, May 2-7, 1961), Box #2.001, Folder #1.5]

Letter from Marcel Florkin, Universite de Liege, to LP, RE: Asks LP to accept the invitation to come to the Conference des Sommets in Brussels. [Letter from LP to Marcel Florkin, March 7, 1961] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (C: Correspondence, 1961-1962), #76.1]

Letter from Mary A. Sarvis to LP RE: Sarvis sends LP a reprint and hopes LP will agree that chemical problems might sometimes be best treated psychologically and sometimes psychological problems would be best handled chemically. [Letter from LP to Sarvis February 11, 1961] [Filed under LP Science: (Orthomolecular Medicine and Mental Health: Materials re: Ford Foundation grants for the study of mental disorders, 1955-1966), Box #11.088, Folder #88.14]

Letter from P. Voutov to LP, RE: The Bulgarian Committee for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries invites LP to visit Bulgaria and meet Bulgarian scientists.

Letter from Peggy Hayes to AHP, RE: Hayes asks AHP is she can suggest a book which she could give to a biologist friend on the topic of peace. Hayes provides AHP with an update on the social happenings of their mutual friends. [Filed under LP Peace: (Correspondence re: circulation and signing of An Appeal to Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, January-March, 1961), Box #5.012, Folder #12.2]

Letter from Peter Pauling to AHP and LP. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Family Correspondence: Peter Jeffress Pauling, 1960-1974), Box #5.044, Folder #44.2]

My Dear Parents,

Thank you for your letters. I am really sorry that I have upset you. It was probably necessary for me to involve you in order to relieve myself but it is not very pleasant for you and I would hope that it would not be necessary. I am feeling much less despondent now, though things are no more settled. I have been trying to get a psychiatrist to talk to who would fill that role that I forced on to you and which now and again I force on my friends of relieving me by listening to me. I have not got it arranged unfortunately but shall try more.

In many ways you cannot help. There are perhaps two things you can do. One is to love me and to trust me and the other is to give money when it is needed. I have always believed the first and I suppose always shall and I have always expected the second when it would be needed.

I think I shall probably stay sometime in this country. I like it here quite a lot. I love London. I suppose University College is not worse than other places. My prospects are good. My salary is low it is true but I hope to supplement it. When I am depressed such as I have been and sometimes still am I want to come home, but usually I am on my feet well enough to stand.

I am, however, very interested in houses per se and in housing as a social institution, and I consider it unfortunate that I did not do something about these problems when I first began to be interested. That is I spend a good deal of time thinking about the problems and various solutions but have nothing to show for it. I shall, moreover, continue to think about these problems. I hope that I shall be in a position to do something.

There are several solutions to individual housing, I wish very much to live in the centre of London. One advantage on London is that it is the only real city in which I can consider living as a family unit in the centre of.

The criteria that I have discovered for choosing districts are excellent and I have decided that society follows me and discovers them a few years after I do. That is I how trust my own decisions. To live in town one must have a house, and a big house because there are no little houses. That is if one is to be free. One can rent a flat, but it is not economic and not freedom. The only way to have a big house is to split it somewhat into flats and let them. Besides, it makes money and lots of it. Gross unfurnished rents are about 15% of the capital and houses are appreciating in London at the rate of 15% per annum at the moment. It is a crying shame that I have not been in there. Mike Bernal is certainly much softer that I in social relations and he makes a reasonable landlord. I did not mean a good landlord in the scrooge sense or in the lose money sense but in the social sense. I charge economic prices. I suppose I would not be a landlord by choice, though sometimes I wonder since I am so interested but there is no other solution to this particular set of problems. Besides there are plenty of young couples around to get as tenants. They make company and share problems and babysitting.

Still what we need at the moment is more space. Say I think Julia has changed a good deal. She is beginning to accept responsibility, not to me or for me but for the children. She thinks about their problems and works on them and does a lot and thinks about the boy’s school and toys and playing. She is still rather strict and sour but she is quite a lot more human I feel.

Love from

[Peter Pauling]

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