The papers include correspondence and files on publishing, research grants, professional organizations such as the American Chemical Society and the National Academy of Sciences. The collection contains also files on the Caltech Institute of Technology faculty committees, the Gates Chemical Laboratory, and the Chemistry Division fiscal matters and some material on L. Pauling (specifically the K. Clark Pauling show) and miscellaneous personal material.

Norman Davidson was born in 1916 in Chicago. He was a molecular biologist, whose groundbreaking work led to a better understanding of the genetic blueprint of life. Davidson joined the Caltech faculty as a chemistry instructor in 1946, and remained on the faculty for the rest of his life. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and in 1996 he was awarded the National Medal of Science from U.S. President Bill Clinton. He died in Pasadena in 2002.

6 linear feet

The collection is open for research. Researchers must apply in writing for access.