Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. – By declaration of Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Wednesday, Feb. 28, is to be recognized as "Linus Pauling Day" throughout the state, in honor of the late Nobel Prize winner and Oregon State University alumnus' 106th birthday.

Pauling, who died Aug. 19, 1994, was born in Portland, Ore., in 1901. He graduated from Oregon Agricultural College, later renamed Oregon State University, with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1922 before enrolling in the California Institute of Technology, where he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry and mathematical physics three years later.

Pauling won his first Nobel Prize, for Chemistry, in 1954, following that eight years later with a second Nobel, for Peace. He remains the only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes.

A proclamation from Kulongoski noted Pauling’s “genius in chemistry,” as well as his fearless “pursuit of the truth and [devotion of] his entire life to the good of humanity.”

“Construction of a new science building on the OSU campus will house the Linus Pauling Institute and the Chemistry Department to honor Linus Pauling’s commitment to research and education and allow faculty and students to continue his work on enhancing the education of undergraduate and graduate students in several academic disciplines,” Kulongoski noted.

Pauling's legacy lives on at OSU through the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) and the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Collection in the Valley Library. Now celebrating its 10th year in Corvallis, LPI focuses on optimum diet as the key to good health and was recognized as one of the first two national "Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine" by the National Institutes of Health and its National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The Pauling Collection is a nationally recognized treasure trove of Pauling’s personal and scientific papers, awards, photographs and memorabilia. It includes correspondence with scores of public figures and world leaders throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Learn more at http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/coll/pauling/index.html.