About this Collection

Linus Pauling (1901-1994) was an American chemist who won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research into the nature of the chemical bond and its application to the elucidation of the structure of complex substances." He also won the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize, making him the only person to win two unshared Nobel prizes.

The Oregon State University Libraries is the repository for the Linus Pauling Papers, which range from 1916 to 1986. The collection contains personal and scientific papers, notebooks, correspondence, research models and memorabilia.

As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine has made available online, in collaboration with the Oregon State University Libraries, a digitized selection of the Linus Pauling Papers. This website provides access to the portions of the Linus Pauling Papers that are now publicly available. Individuals interested in conducting research using the full collection of Linus Pauling Papers should contact the Oregon State University Libraries.

This Profile is designed to introduce you to the various phases of Pauling's scientific career and professional life. Narrative sections available from the navigation bar under "The Story" focus on Pauling's life and major scientific contributions.

Researchers can search the digitized items using the Search box or browse all Documents and Visuals in the collection by selecting "Collection Items" from the navigation bar.