He attended Harvard University from 1966 to 1971 supported by an NIH Predoctoral Fellowship and pursued research on various aspects of magnetic resonance spectroscopy with Professor Alvin Kwiram.
At SUNY-SB, Larry pursued research on red blood cell proteins and on conducting (electroactive) polymers such as polyacetylene.
He served on numerous NIH study sections and review panels including the Parent Committee for the National Sickle Cell Anemia Program.
He also served as Director of the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Center on Materials and Processing at the Nanometer Scale.
In 1998, Larry joined the faculty of the University of Washington as the inaugural George B. Kauffman Professor of Chemistry and Electrical Engineering where his personal research focuses on nonlinear optical materials and devices and upon sensor technology.
In 2000, Larry received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University Two of Dalton's papers have been retracted from the chemistry journal Inorganica Chimica Acta.