WWW: Linus Pauling DNA site
Forwarded to HISTNEUR-L from H-SCI-MED-TECH. --RJ
--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 11:36:42 -0500
From: "Phillip Thurtle, H-SCI-MED-TECH" [smtedit@MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU]
Subject: WWW: Linus Pauling DNA site
Sender: "H-NET List on the History of Science, Medicine, and
Technology" [H-SCI-MED-TECH@H-NET.MSU.EDU]
From: "Petersen, Chris" [chris.petersen@orst.edu]
News Release News Release News Release News Release
Linus Pauling DNA website unveiled
http://osulibrary.orst.edu/specialcollections/dna
Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections will launch on
Thursday, February 20th a new website, "Linus Pauling and the Race for
DNA: A Documentary History." The website, at
http://osulibrary.orst.edu/specialcollections/dna, explores one of the
greatest scientific achievements of the 20th century - the discovery of
the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, the basic foundation of
life. More than 800 original letters, manuscripts, photographs,
audio-clips and video excerpts - many never before available outside of
archives - form the heart of the site. They include a number of important
and unique items, such as:
* An extremely rare prepublication typescript of James Watson and
Francis Crick's groundbreaking DNA paper;
* A one-of-a-kind prepublication typescript of Rosalind Franklin's
DNA paper, published in the same issue of "Nature" as Watson and Crick's,
with handwritten additions by Franklin;
* Linus Pauling's contemporaneous laboratory notes outlining his
DNA work, and a much-corrected manuscript of the paper relating his
famously mistaken structure;
* Scores of manuscript letters written at the time, including
correspondence between all the major players in the race for DNA. The
original documents are tied together with a unique narrative of the
discovery from the largely unknown viewpoint of the major "loser" in the
race, Pauling. A comprehensive, day-by-day account of all of Pauling's
personal and professional activities in the years 1952 and 1953 is also
included as an adjunct to the main DNA narrative, with scanned images of
documents and photographs accompanying the text.
"This site is for anyone interested in the DNA story," said Clifford Mead,
head of Special Collections at OSU. "General users can benefit from an
interesting site that shows history in the making, through the words of
the participants. The site also offers a comprehensive set of links to
other DNA sites, as well detailed information on all the major players."
"But it goes deeper," Mead added. "This site makes available for the first
time the raw material of this important piece of history."
_________________
Chris Petersen
Faculty Research Assistant
The Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon 97331
Phone: 541-737-2810
Fax: 541-737-8674
http://osulibrary.orst.edu/specialcollections/
--- End Forwarded Message ---