The Palmer Committee

Linus Pauling’s experimental work for the government came to an end with the closure of the oxypolygelatin program. Despite that, his association with the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) continued. In late 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt contacted Vannevar Bush, director of the OSRD, and requested a report on the future of science [...]

Invisible Inks

By 1944 the oxygen meter and propellant projects were running smoothly with only minimal oversight from Pauling.  With more free time available to him, he began looking into new lines of research.  That year, he was contacted by Arthur Lamb, a Harvard professor, regarding a new line of inquiry.  During World War I, Lamb had [...]

Hydrogen Peroxide

“I am planning to carry out during the next few days some experiments on the resistance of concentrated peroxide to shock by detonators and by rifle bullets, and I shall let you know the results of the experiments.“ -Linus Pauling, letter to T. K. Sherwood, November 14, 1940. Beginning in early 1940, Dr. Paul A. [...]

Penicillin

In early 1942, Merck & Co. began producing penicillin with the intention of making it available for soldiers in the field. Up to that point, the company was able to produce only tiny amounts of the drug, making it a precious commodity. They needed a way to mass produce penicillin. While chemists and biologists worked [...]

The Business of Detection

“Our Section L-1 on Aerosols has been set up to handle problems dealing with both offense and defense against toxic smokes. In connection with that program they have naturally run into the old problem of measurement of particle size and particle-size distribution, and have employed two or three of the more promising optical and microscope [...]

The Oxygen Meter

“Have most promising method determination partial pressure oxygen. Best available post-doctorate assistant offered job elsewhere. May I hold him. Please telegram or telephone.“ -Telegram from Linus Pauling to James B. Conant, October 8, 1940 On October 3, 1940, Pauling met with his colleague, W.K. Lewis, in New York City. At this meeting Lewis informed Pauling [...]

Rocket Propellants

“Both the Army and the Navy are developing hypervelocity guns. Of the two, the Army has the greater interest, because of antitank application…. Present work involves taper bore guns, muzzle adapters, light-weight projectiles.“ -Linus Pauling, notes taken at a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Internal Ballistics, August 28, 1942. In the summer of [...]

The Scientific War Work of Linus C. Pauling

In attempting to gain a grasp on the details of Linus Pauling’s long and complicated life, one might choose to view it in terms of decades. In the 1920s, he was coming into his own as a researcher. In the 1930s, he established himself as a world-class chemist. The 1950s encapsulated his work with biochemistry, [...]

Big News

We are very excited to announce the release of our latest website, The Scientific War Work of Linus C. Pauling:  A Documentary History.  The fifth in our documentary history series, the project took us nearly thirteen months to complete. As with the previous four documentary histories, the war site is comprised of a Narrative, a [...]

Pauling on the Homefront: The Development of Oxypolygelatin, Part 2

“Science cannot be stopped. Man will gather knowledge no matter what the consequences — and we cannot predict what they will be. Science will go on — whether we are pessimistic, or are optimistic, as I am. I know that great, interesting, and valuable discoveries can be made and will be made…But I know also [...]