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The
effects of the Depression had global impact and in Germany unemployment
created large scale problems that set the stage for Hitler to step
in and assume power. The scientific world was altered by World War
II -- many scientists fled Germany, and the quantum physics mecca
that had thrived in Berlin disintegrated.
In the 30's, Pauling began to shift his investigative
studies to chemical biology. In 1934 he applied to the Rockefeller
Foundation for a three-year grant to study hemoglobin. In 1938
he received a large research grant in the area of biochemistry.
It's extremely unusual for a scientist of this magnitude to not
focus on a specialty during his or her entire life.
When the United States entered the war in 1941,
Pauling concentrated on scientific discoveries that would benefit
the U.S. military. Pauling created explosives and missile propellants.
He also developed an oxygen meter. With a colleague, he developed
a synthetic plasma. He also participated in a wartime presidential
commission which determined future scientific and medical research
programs which resulted din an expansion of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) and the creation of the National Science Foundation
(NSF). For his wartime efforts, Pauling received the Presidential
Medal of Merit from President Harry Truman in 1948.
Another important change was occurring in his
life. Pauling, who had spent most of his life immersed in science,
was developing political views. He started to speak publicly and
take political stands.
The Pauling family was asked to temporarily employ
a Japanese American soldier who was waiting to go to Camp Shelby.
His house was vandalized, someone painted a Japanese flag on his
garage and "Americans die, but we love Japs. Japs working
here!" Pauling received threatening letters, but stood by
his decision.
In 1945 a friend described sickle cell anemia.
Using his chemistry knowledge, Pauling thought it might be caused
by a defect in the red blood cell's hemoglobin. In 1948, he and
his colleague, Dr. Harvey Itano confirmed sickle cell anemia was
caused by a genetic abnormality in the hemoglobin molecule. Pauling
called this a molecular disease. This idea is currently the focus
of human genome research.
At
the end of the war, Pauling was ready to return to his protein
research, but the Atomic Age created an ethical challenge for
many scientists, including Einstein. During the McCarthy era,
Pauling was hounded for his views and for speaking publicly. Despite
his patriotism demonstrated during the war, he was denied a passport
for many years, the State Department giving the reason: "Not
in the best interest of the United States." The denial of
his passport resulted in his missing an important conference in
England. The information at that conference might have led Pauling
to discover the structure of the DNA helix. |
