Distinguished Historian Will Recount the Pivotal Contributions of Linus Pauling to Our Understanding of the Molecular Structure of Matter

Mary Jo Nye, a leading historian of chemistry and physics in the 19th and 20th centuries, will present "Tools of Molecular Architecture in the Chemistry of Linus Pauling" at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 16.

Nye's lecture, which will take place in Seelye 106, is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible.

Pauling, one of the most distinguished scientists of the 20th century, received the 1954 Nobel Prize in chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize. A recent poll of scientists identified him as the most influential chemist of the last 75 years. Nye's presentation will focus on the revolutionary steps that Pauling took in integrating visual, three-dimensional images of molecules into teaching and research in chemistry, as well as into popular representations of chemistry.

Nye, the Horning Professor of the Humanities and professor of history at Oregon State University (where Pauling's papers reside), is currently a fellow of the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology at M.I.T. She is the author of "Before Big Science: The Pursuit of Modern Chemistry and Physics, 1800-1940," and "From Chemical Philosophy to Theoretical Chemistry: Dynamics of Matter and Dynamics of Disciplines, 1800-1950." Her recent articles include "From Student to Teacher: Linus Pauling and the Reformulation of the Principles of Chemistry in the 1930s."

Contact: Marti Hobbes, mhobbes@smith.edu

April 6, 2001