FACULTY CLUB

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

[LP writes;]

Thursday, 1 PM

Dear lovely little wife:

Yesterday afternoon after writing you I wrote some letters about the meeting, and was then disturbed at 2 o'clock by the commotion caused by the collapse of the roof of the engineering building. I finished my letter to Dr Noyes and then went over, by which time the dead and injured workmen had been removed to hospitals. Then I talked to Ermon a while, and mailed my letters, and bought three tickets to the Partheneia, for Saturday, to take Mr and Mrs Stuart, whose father, by the way, was a Scho Scot. Then I went to the physics research conference, where Robert spoke on Tolman's work, and bathed and put on my dark suit for dinner with the Stuarts. They have a little apartment. Mrs Stuart is about your size and age (a little fatter!) but quite ugly. We talked German, and after dinner Stuart and I fachsinpeld until late. They walked home with me at 11 ³⁰ . I bought a Sat. Eve. Post and read it until 2, and then retired. I got up at 10, and read some journals in the chem. library, and attended Kramer's lecture at 11.

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Then I had a sandwich (turkey + ham) luncheon at the Club with Olson + Lawrence, and then watched Lewis + Gibson play a game of chess. How's that for an account of my actions? It includes everything except an erotic dream. I didn't participant in this dream, but was a voyeur - I watched a girl (not you - I don't know who) do naughty things to herself; I really had a good time! I remember the dream was getting along nicely, with nothing sexual in it, and then the girl started these interesting actions I was quite surprised at the turn events were taking! As usual, I wakened just when everything became really interesting - probably because my imagination had come to the end of its string.

I love you, darling, and was terribly pleased to get two letters and the good cookies at 6 last night. The days are passing rapidly now, and soon I'll be home with you.

Your own Paddy

[Letterhead:]

Faculty Club

university of california

Tuesday, 10 AM

My darling little wife (and child):

Well, have you decided when you'll come up here? Why not come Friday night, or at any rate Saturday? We could have a good time over the week-end. I'll look for you then. The weather has been nice here, and I think you'll enjoy yourself. I'll try to make you glad you've come. I'm afraid little Linda will think someone is poking her with iron bar, however, unless you feel you have to protect her by doing what you did in San Diego.

I am not getting any work done at all. I waste all of my time, for I don't feel settled enough without you to put my mind on my work. Last night I tried to work, and found after two hours that I had written one page, and thought about

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you for 1 hour 53 minutes. I have a perpetual feeling of disquiet and unrest, a feeling that something is lacking, which prevents my concentrating on anything. Already I know less than in Pasadena, having made no progress and forgotten some things.

I prepared my lecture yesterday, taking most of the day to do about an hour's work, as usual now. Then I delivered the lecture, and then took Rich and Portia to dinner. They then had to go to the blind school to read, so I came home, and tried to work, as described above.

Please come as soon as you can, darling sweetheart. I love you with all my heart.

Your own

Linus

[Letterhead:]

Faculty Club

university of california

Tuesday, 5 ³⁰ PM

Dearest Ava Helen:

Your letter has just come. I am lonesome for you, and I don't like getting in my hard bed, with no one to snuggle up to, and so I stay up late every night. I'd like to see Linus and Peter too, but most I want you. It will be nice when you come at the end of next week (or perhaps sooner?). Wasn't it unfortunate that I didn't have my pictures of you? Please bring them when you come. There is nothing in my room to enliven it.

Last night after dinner at the club I went to Lawrence's room with him to listen to some Bach and Saint-Saëns records on his phonograph, which is just like ours. He paid $108 for it at Macy's, with freight bringing the cost to $140. He showed me

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pictures of his girl, who looks like a stick, about 30. I had a hard time saying anything about them. Then we went to physics research conference and then to his laboratory, with his 85 ton magnet in it. He has a big old building just for his work, and is getting along wonderfully. Then I worked a little and went to bed. This morning I went to town + bought for $12½ a sterling silver dish for Rich, bargaining a little with the jeweler. At 11 AM I went to Simon's demonstration lecture. He prepared solid hydrogen, at 14° above the absolute zero. It looked like sugar crystals in the clear watery liquid hydrogen.

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This afternoon the students had a holiday, holding a circus parade, and a circus in a big tent. I went to the lab. + talked with Spedding about his work, and then to the Chem. seminar, which is just now ended. Tonight I expect to go to the circus, although I really should visit Rich + his frau.

With loads of love from your own

Linus.

Faculty Club

university of california

Wednesday, 9 PM

[March 2, 1932]

Dearest lovely sweetheart:

How are you? No letter came from you today, which disappointed me. I am very lonesome without you, and I haven't been doing any work, either. Last night I went to the Big C Circus, which wasn't any fun; I didn't stay long, but came home and read till 1, and then slept till 9 this morning. Then I worked on tomorrow's lecture till 11, and went to Simon's lecture. After lunch I played Kriegspiel with another man, with Lewis as referee, and tied (drew) the match. Then Lewis gave me the detailed budget for his department. Then I decided to have dinner in Oakland for a change, and on getting there I hunted for nearly

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an hour for a nice looking restaurant, finally eating a poor meal at the Pig + Whistle. Then I went out to Rich's house, way over on the other side of Oakland, but no one was home, so I returned here, getting sick on the cars (I'm still sick).

Isn't it a shame the Lindberg baby is kidnapped? I'm glad we don't have that worry. I trust that you still have Pete and Liny and Willie. By the way, how is Willie now? Is he still growing as fast as during the last month?

I saw Leonard Loeb today. He hasn't changed.

I love you, darling.

Your

Linus

Faculty Club

university of california

Thursday, 8 PM.

Dearest Ava Helen:

Your sweet letter came this afternoon, pleasing me immensely, although I felt sorry for Pete, learning that the world is hard. I'm glad Dr. McMillan says you can go East with me. I'm looking forward to your early arrival here. I don't care if Willy is a filly.

Today I spent largely in working on my lectures. In the shower this morning I washed my hair, which gave me a cold, so I got some aspirin, several tablets of which seem to have been effective in stopping its course. My lecture was well

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attended and, I think, well liked. While getting the aspirin I bought a book at the drug store, "Thirteen Men" by Tiffany Thayer, and already I have read two-thirds of it. I think it very clever and amusing. Have you read "The Greek" yet?

Tonight I went with Rich to his father-in-law's house, and met his f-i-l's second wife, who is not Jewish, and is from Portland. The f-i-l himself is also not Jewish. He is a minor official in the Bank of America, and is, I should say, a respectable middle-class business man, with a pleasant home on the

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hill in Oakland. Portia, Rich's wife, is not at all bad; she does show to some extent her mother's features. She is working as a stenographer, and Rich is going to school + working in a restaurant, + both of them make some money by reading in the blind school. I think they'll get along all right. They seemed please with my present. Rich is trying to get a teaching job after taking his degree in May.

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I am going to the Library now, and then after reading a while to bed.

I love you, darling, and wish I had a nice girl here to sleep with.

Your own

Paddy

Saturday at 10 AM

[March 5, 1932]

Dearest Ava Helen:

Are you beginning to get ready to come to Berkely? I really am anxious to have you come. I hate terribly to be away from you; I don't feel like myself or think like myself at all, but wander around in a sort of daze, thinking mostly about you, or, remark-ably enough, about other girls (all of whom, however, are at a safe distance.). Isn't that funny? Not the thinking about you, but the other girls (who are, however, not very specific). I don't like the sensation at all.

Yesterday I prepared my lecture, and delivered it, this taking most of the day. Everyone seemed interested. I got several letters - some proof to correct, a telegram from Dr. Noyes saying that I might appoint the Berkeley applicant etc. (The etc. being a letter from a man named Austin asking me to read his manuscript dealing with the rotation of ions in crystals). I played a game of Kriegspiel with Lewis and beat him, thus winning my second game, drawing the first. Jenkins asked me to dinner last night, and then called it off, Jenkins having to go to Mt Hamilton, so I have so far had dinner only with Rich's family. Tomorrow night, I'm going to the Pennell's.

Lawrence and I were going to attend a movie last night, but he had seen the only decent one (Hill Drivers) so I went alone, and thought it pretty good. I've invited Aunt Beth + family to dinner tomorrow afternoon.

I love you, my darling sweetheart.

Paddy

Sunday, 10 AM

My darling Ava Helen;

You are a good girl to send your letter special delivery; it arrived before I was up this morning. When are coming up? How about Sunday? You must let me know so I can get an apartment. Do you still want to come in the day time? Remember to come by the Valley route, so that you can get off in Berkeley itself. I'll meet you. You can get a 16 - day ticket, for about $24. Remember to get a Pullman seat if you come by day. If you call the S.P. office by phone they'll probably bring your ticket out to the house. I'm anxious to see you. If you feel worried about leaving Mamma alone, you must have Mrs Filmore come regularly.

Yesterday I saw Maury, who was up here, and talked with him about our paper and his work. He said that next year is his Sabbatical, and that he will get half salary; but that he wants a job in some other university afterwards. He is thinking of trying for a Scandinavian fellowship and going to Sweden next year, I hope he gets a satisfactory job.

Yesterday evening I went to San Francisco alone, to see why people said it is an attractive and interesting city; but I returned completely disappointed. I rode through Chinatown on a cable streetcar, and walked back, seeing nothing but a lot of Chinese reading was bulletins. I went to dinner at States Hofbran, where we went once with the Eastmans, I think. The dinner wasn't very good - I tried reindeer steak, which I don't like, and the bouillon was more like dishwater than Kraftbruhe. Then I walked up Market Street, which was rather crowded, to the Fox theater, and saw a pretty good movie, Will Rogers in "Business and Pleasure", and a Fanchon and Marco idea, with lots of girls, all of whom looked cute enough (at a distance, anyway) to have intercourse with, and they were pretty suitably attired already, since the misplaced shoulder straps could easily have been further displaced.

By the way, in Oakland I saw a sign "Hotel Coit". I have also recently learned that the Greek word for coiton is mixos, µcξος.

I must write now to Franklin, who has reminded me to stay with him.

I love you , darling girl, and Peter and Linus and Linda, too.

Linus.