Linus Pauling

February 28, 1901 - August 19, 1994
Scientist

Physicist, scientist, and social activist Linus Pauling is the only person to receive two unshared Nobel Prizes. A dedicated teacher and practicing scientist, Pauling published hundreds of articles covering a broad spectrum of topics. His 350 publications on the structure of crystals, for instance, are a testimony to his investigative skills and his desire to share information. In 1954 Pauling received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research into the nature of the chemical bond, which elucidated the structure of complex subjects. In 1962 he received the Nobel Prize for Peace in honor of his 1958 book No More War! and his public involvement with the movement against atomic weapons.

Pauling

Albert Einstein

March 14, 1879 - April 18, 1955
Scientist

Albert Einstein was an eminent scientist whose theory of relativity and quantum mechanics revolutionized physics and permanently altered our understanding of the universe. Like many other creative minds during the period, he fled Nazi Germany and found refuge in the US. He became a professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton from 1933-1945, acquiring his US citizenship in 1940. He was a leading figure in the World Government Movement and was offered the Presidency of Israel. Along with Chaim Weizmann, he established the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His theory of relativity, E=MC², remains an important scientific discovery that has made its way into our cultural lexicon.

Einstein

George Washington Carver

c.1864 - January 5, 1943
Abolition-era Activist and Agricultural Research

There is a portrait of George Washington Carver in the National Portrait Gallery's "The Struggle for Justice" collection.

Click here to view the National Portrait Gallery's "The Struggle for Justice" collection.

Carver