Pauling on Mark

Abstract

Herman Mark is famous for his tremendous contributions to the field of polymer science. He is not so well known for his early work in the field of crystal structure, nevertheless, I think that it was his experience in the crystal structure field that gave him the background that permitted him to make his important contributions to the understanding of polymers. He was, in fact, one of the leading investigators in the field of the use of x-ray diffraction for the determination of the structure of crystals in the years 1923 to 1928, and it was through this work that he developed the feeling for atoms and their interaction with one another that permitted him, later on, to make an effective attack on the problem of the structure and properties of macromolecules.