Among Linus Pauling's contributions were a better understanding of molecular structure and chemical bonding. Pauling is one of the few people to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes: He received the 1954 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on forces between molecules, and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on ending the testing of nuclear weapons. Throughout his career, Pauling demonstrated intuition, inspiration, and a phenomenal memory.

Near the end of his career, Pauling initiated a large campaign to increase consumption of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for health reasons. See "The Dark Side of Linus Pauling's Legacy", by Stephen Barrett, M.D. [local]

Pauling taught freshman chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, and wrote a principles text that was seminal in changing the way introductory chemistry was taught around the world.