Download Linus Carl Pauling (1901-1994)

Linus Carl Pauling (1901-1994)
Linus Pauling is generally recognised as the greatest
chemist of the 20th century. He is the only person ever to
receive two unshared Nobel Prizes: The Nobel Prize in
Chemistry (1954) and The Nobel Peace Prize (1962).
Linus Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon, on February
28, 1901. When he was nine, his father died, leaving Linus,
his two younger sisters and their mother to provide for
themselves. For many years Linus argued with his mother
because he wanted to pursue his education, but she wanted
him to leave school and get a job to support the family. He
did not leave school but he did find many ways to make
money such as delivering milk, running film projectors, and
working in a shipyard.
In 1917 Linus Pauling began studying chemical engineering at Oregon Agricultural
College (now Oregon State University) in Corvallis, Oregon. In his first year there he
sailed through his exams, even though he was working over 100 hours a month to support
himself and his family. He was drawn to the challenge of how and why particular atoms
form bonds with each other to create molecules with unique structures. In 1925 he
received a Ph.D. in chemistry and mathematical physics from California Institute of
Technology (Caltech). He then came to Europe to study with physicists who were
exploring the implications of quantum mechanics for atomic structure. In this revolutionary
new field he found a physical and mathematical framework for his own future theories
about molecular structure and chemical properties. In 1927 he returned to Caltech and
continued his intensive research on the formation of chemical bonds between atoms in
molecules and crystals. To study the materials he was interested in he used X-ray
diffraction and electron diffraction, a technique he took to the United States from Europe.
His classic book The Nature of the Chemical Bond, first published in 1939, is frequently
cited as the most influential scientific book of the 20th century.
Over the seven decades of his scientific career, his research interests were amazingly
diverse. He made important discoveries in many different fields: physical, structural,
analytical, inorganic, and organic chemistry, as well as biochemistry. He used theoretical
physics, particularly quantum mechanics, in his investigations of atomic and molecular
structure and chemical bonding. He also studied atomic structures and bonding of metals
and minerals. In both theoretical and applied medicine he made important discoveries in
genetic diseases, hematology, immunology, brain function and psychiatry, molecular
evolution, nutritional therapy, diagnostic technology, statistical epidemiology, and
biomedicine. His interest in DNA in the early 1950s spurred Francis Crick and James
Watson into working quickly to win the race to discover the structure of DNA. Even though
he lost the race to discover the structure of DNA, he is also often considered the founding
father of molecular biology, which has transformed the biological sciences and medicine
and provided the base for biotechnology. Many of his discoveries and inventions were
expanded upon and used profitably in industry by others. Although in later years he was
primarily involved in biomedical research, in 1992 he was awarded one of his last patents
for a new way of making superconductive materials.
© University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, 2003.
Linus Carl Pauling (1901-1994)
For many years Linus Pauling was probably the most
visible, vocal, and accessible American scientist, resulting
from his love of communicating. He was an expert at
explaining difficult medical and scientific information in
simple terms that were easy to understand. Much of his
work combined the dedication and knowledge of the
scientist with a deep commitment to humanitarianism that
reflected his own ethos of the "minimization of suffering".
A model of the structure
of the alpha helix, which
Linus Pauling found by
using laws of structural
chemistry and building
models
of
possible
structures based on a
small amount of data
from X-ray diffraction
images.
Linus Pauling was never reluctant to inspire or enter into
controversy by expressing unorthodox scientific ideas,
taking a strong moral position, or rousing the public to some
worthy cause. He often urged scientists to get involved in
politics and society. He campaigned relentlessly against
testing nuclear weapons. On the same day (10th October
1963) that the limited test ban treaty signed by the United
States, Great Britain, and the U.S.S.R. went into effect, it
was announced that Linus Pauling would be awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize for 1962. A key member of the selection
committee in Norway commented later that the test ban
would not have happened without Linus Pauling's
campaigning activities. The test ban has spared
innumerable people from suffering from cancer and genetic
damage.
Linus Pauling went on to co-found the nonprofit biomedical research organization that now
bears his name. The Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine was established to
conduct research and education based on his belief that nutrition could prevent,
ameliorate or cure many diseases, slow the aging process, and alleviate suffering. He
gained many admirers among the public because of the knowledgeable yet clear way he
spoke about the use of nutrients as means to achieve health, prolong life, and provide
inexpensive, readily available, and nontoxic alternatives to drugs. As with his outspoken
campaigning against testing of nuclear weapons, pressure from critics did not stop him
from maintaining his beliefs. He used the ongoing interest in him to promote his ideas,
particularly the benefits of vitamin C. He wrote numerous articles and books about
science, peace, and health, including Vitamin C and the Common Cold, Cancer and
Vitamin C (with Ewan Cameron, M.D.), and How to Live Longer and Feel Better. Many
people today know Linus Pauling more for his advocacy of vitamin C than for his work on
the chemical bond or for world peace.
Linus Pauling died on August 19, 1994, aged 93, at his ranch near Big Sur, on the
California coast. The assets of the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine were
used to establish the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) as a research institute at Oregon State
University in 1996. LPI continues to function as a tribute to the great scientist and
humanitarian, investigating the function and role of food in maintaining human health and
preventing and treating disease, and advancing knowledge in areas which were of interest
to Linus Pauling through research and education.
© University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, 2003.