The primary objective of Special Collections at Oregon State University's Valley Library is to maintain and preserve the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers. Linus Pauling is considered to be one of the most important scientists and humanitarians of the twentieth century. With the use of the Pauling collection as a cornerstone, a secondary objective of the Special Collections will be to document the development of science and technology in the twentieth century. The Special Collections will be of particular interest to researchers concerned with 20th-century science and science-based technology, and to those investigating the development of science. Find out more about our Collections.

No special credentials or permissions are necessary to use our materials. We are open to both the academic community as well as the general public. We do suggest that researchers visiting from outside the area contact us before their visit so that we may prepare accordingly.

News and Events

New Videos Featuring Noam Chomsky July 18, 2008 – Transcribed video of a two-hour lecture and Q & A session by Dr. Noam Chomsky is now available on the Special Events section of the Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections website. Titled "Prospects for World Order" and delivered on the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the talk provides compelling analysis of international relations from the left-radical perspective. Read more. Video and Transcription of Roderick MacKinnon Lecture Now Available June 3, 2008 – Fully-transcribed video of Dr. Roderick MacKinnon's 2008 Linus Pauling Legacy Award Lecture is now available on the Special Collections webpage. Titled "Ion Channel Chemistry: The Electrical System of Life," Dr. MacKinnon's talk provided a fascinating glimpse into the history of scientific inquiry into the human electrical system. The presentation also introduced recent developments in the study of the molecular principles of selectivity and gating in potassium channels -- a field of research that many feel will shed new light on potential cures for a wide range of neuromuscular diseases. Read more. Now Available: Transcribed Video of Presentations by Francis Crick, Noted Historians and Friends of Linus Pauling. May 13, 2008 – Almost nine hours of transcribed video featuring presentations by a number of famed scientists and historians is the latest addition to the Special Events website presented by the Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections. Of particular note is a lecture by 1962 Nobel laureate Dr. Francis Crick titled "The Impact of Linus Pauling on Molecular Biology." Video of a talk by an additional Nobel Prize winner, Dr. William N. Lipscomb (Chemistry, 1976) is a further highlight of this release. Read more. Dr. Roderick MacKinnon, Nobel laureate, to Receive Pauling Legacy Award and Speak in Portland, May 5, 2008. March 27, 2008 – Dr. Roderick MacKinnon, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will speak in Portland on Monday, May 5th. The lecture, entitled “Ion Channel Chemistry: The Electrical System of Life,” will be held at the Portland Hilton & Executive Tower at 8:00 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Seats may be reserved ahead of time. Read more.  Subscribe to our News Feed: RSS or Atom.   Read Archived News