Linus Pauling - Molecular Biologist and Orthomolecular Scientist
then use the data from the crystallography image to calculate the structure. He would compare the calculated structure with the observed one. Pauling had great success with this method. However, he would be criticized by many for his use of intuition and for not always having compete data to back up what he wrote.
In 1925, Pauling received his Ph.D. in chemistry, with minors in physics and mathematics. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship to study in Europe with Erwin Schroedinger, Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Neils Bohr. He studied quantum mechanics. His mother died while he was in Europe. In 1927, Pauling returned to CalTech as an assistant professor, and was made an associate professor in 1929, and a full professor in 1931. Also in 1931, Pauling wrote a paper titled, The Nature of the Chemical Bond, which explained his theory of how atoms can change the shape of the waves that create the bonding. He received the first Langmuir Prize from the American Chemical Society for his work.
In 1934, Pauling applied to the Rockefeller Foundation for a grant to study hemoglobin. In 1938 he received a grant in biochemistry. This would begin the next major phase in his career.
In 1937, Pauling was appointed Chairman of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Director of the Gates and Crellin Laboratories.
In 1939, he published The Nature of the Chemical Bond and the Structure of Molecules and Crystals, which is considered a classic work, and is still in print.
In 1947, he published General Chemistry, a textbook which used his theoretical approach to chemistry. He was a popular lecturer, able to explain complex information in a more simple way, and a great showman in the classroom.
During World War II, Pauling worked to develop explosives and missile propellants. He also developed an oxygen meter used to monitor oxygen levels in submarines and airplanes. He worked on synthetic plasma. He declined to work on the Manhattan Project.
Pauling became politically active. He protested against the internment of Japanese Americans. He was against open air testing of nuclear bombs. He championed the idea of using international law to settle disputes, rather than war. He was investigated by the McCarthy hearings. He lost funding grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He was denied a passport to travel abroad.
In 1958, Pauling wrote the book, No More War. He worked with other scientists to circulate a petition against nuclear testing and presented it to the United Nations. There were over 11,000 signatures from scientists in 49 countries. On October 10, 1963, representatives from
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