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Linus Pauling: Remembering Oregon's Native Son

© Sue Barton

When you hear the name, "Linus Pauling," what do you think? If you grew up in the Sixties, the first thing that springs to mind is his book, "Vitamin C and the Common Cold."  My teenage son had never heard of him until I asked him, yet Linus Pauling was one of the most important scientists of the 20^th century. So who was this Oregonian and what were his accomplishments?

Who was He?

In the simplest of terms, Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon on February 28, 1901. He graduated from the Oregon Agricultural College, which later became Oregon State University. It was there that he met his wife, Ava Helen Miller. Pauling moved on to the California Institute of Technology, where he received his PhD. in chemistry and mathematical physics. He passed away at the age of 93 in 1994.

His Discoveries and Achievements

Pauling researched chemical properties, writing a definitive chemistry textbook that is still in use. He discovered several bonding properties of chemicals, which became the basis for much of today's studies of molecular biology and biotechnology.

Pauling seemed to reinvent himself several times, ever the student. Ironically, the man who developed weaponry for the military in World War II and then later protested against atmospheric testing of nuclear devises, contending that the fallout on Earth's citizens would bring an increase in cancers and genetic deformities.

His Awards

In 1954, he received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his discoveries about how chemicals bond with each other. In 1963, on the day a nuclear test ban treaty was signed, it was announced that Pauling had won the Nobel Peace Prize for 1962. He is still the only person to win two unshared Nobel prizes.

Where to Learn More

This article barely scratches the depth and breadth of Pauling's life and accomplishments. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland has a special exhibit on Pauling through March 18, 2001. You can also check out information on the website of the Linus Pauling Institute located at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Take a few moments to acquaint yourself with one the most prolific scientific researchers and writers of the 20^th Century.

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