Linus Carl Pauling - Part I

June 14, 2010

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Linus Carl Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon, on February 28, 1901. He was the first son of Herman Henry William Pauling, a pharmacist and Lucy Isabelle Pauling usually called Belle.

During his first year of age Linus lived with his parents in a one-room apartment in Portland. During the following years from 1902 to 1905, Linus's family moved several times. His sisters were born Pauline in 1902 and Lucile in 1903. In 1905 his father moved his family to Condon.

At the age of nine Linus was a voracious reader. He had read all the books available in his house and at one point his father with the desire to encourage and assist him in his prematurely developed inclinations wrote a letter to the local newspaper, The Oregonian. This letter was an attempt to collect proper reading material for young Linus, inviting suggestions of additional books to occupy his time, telling them Linus was interested in ancient history. It seems he had had no response.

On June 11, 1910 Linus's father Herman Pauling died at the age of 33 when Linus was 9 years old leaving his wife Lucy to care for him and his sisters, Pauline and Lucile.

During the summer, his mother Belle moved the family from their home to a three-story, ten-room house. Belle borrowed heavily to purchase the house, which she hoped, by her taking in roomers and boarders, will provide a living for herself and her children. In the fall, Linus, Pauline, and Lucile continued their &#&elementary education&#& returning to Sunnyside Grammar School.

Linus began to be interested in science at the very early age of 11 when he began to collect first insects and later minerals, borrowing books from the public libraries. He graduated from the Sunnyside Grammar School in 1914 completing the requirements of Portland's nine-grade, individual progress system more rapidly than most students.

In February, he entered Portland's Washington &#&High School. &#& It is here that Linus first became interested in studying chemistry because of the influence of one of his friends.

Lloyd Jeffress had set up a small chemical laboratory in his bedroom, where he performed a chemical experiment in which he reacted sulfuric acid with a mixture of sugar and potassium chlorate, causing a dramatic formation of a steaming product of black carbon. Linus was so impressed and fascinated that he decided to become a chemist.