Linus Pauling

1901- 1994

American Chemist

American chemist Linus Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon on February 28, 1901. He was interested in Chemistry from an early age. He dropped out of high school to go to college. He went to Oregon State University where by his senior year he was teaching. He went on to Cal Tech where he earned a Phd in 1925.

Pauling made enormous contributions to the fields of biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, theoretical chemistry and mineralogy. Much of his early work involved the nature of chemical bonds.

One of his important discoveries was that sickle-cell disease results from a disruption of hemoglobin structures at the molecular level. He was also the first to hypothesize that proteins may be arranged in a helical pattern, thereby paving the way for Watson and Crick to develop the double-helix model of DNA. Pauling was awarded two Nobel Prizes, first the Chemistry Prize and later the Peace Prize for his efforts on behalf of disarmament.

Pauling generated controversy for his pronouncements about vitamin therapy, particularly regarding the use of Vitamin C to prevent and treat the common cold.