Asbestos Textile Institute Minutes on Selikoff's Conference and a Lawyer's Letter to Selikoff (1964)

Minutes of two meetings of the Asbestos Textile Institute, the trade group of asbestos textile makers, held on October 8, 1964, at the Barbizon-Plaza Hotel in New York, eleven days before the New York Academy of Sciences conference on the "Biological Effects of Asbestos" arranged by Dr. Irving J. Selikoff. The Air Hygiene and Manufacturing Committee, with W. C. Atkinson and C. L. Sheckler attending for Johns-Manville, said the conference "will have an effect on the entire Industry" and suggested that "a Public Relations man with our help would be the quickest way to get accurate publicity to the public." The Board of Governors, with W. S. Hough of J-M present, discussed whether those behind the cancer publicity "could be warned of the gravity of their charges" without giving the impression of an attempt "to suppress or intimidate the medical profession," and had its lawyers draft a letter to Selikoff, which is copied into the minutes.

What it shows

The draft letter, from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft on the Institute's behalf, conveyed "the grave concern which all member companies share" over newspaper reports linking asbestos with mesothelioma, quoted a New York Times article of October 7, 1964, and urged "caution in the discussion of these activities to avoid providing the basis for possibly damaging and misleading news stories." It pointed to the members' work with the Public Health Service as proof that they acted responsibly. The minutes say the draft went to each member for approval before being sent by Mr. Reycraft; they do not show that it was sent. J-M's medical director gave his own advice on the same publicity five days later.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Minutes of 10/8/64 ATI meeting (W. Atkinson is the J-M representative) includes discussion of the upcoming conference organized by Dr. Selikoff on "Biological Effects of Asbestos" in which he is expected to link asbestos with cancer and how this assertion may be rebutted. It is determined that hiring a "public relations man" is the best way to get "accurate information" to the public.

At a board of governors meeting on 10/8/64, the ATI decided to request its legal counsel, Mr. Reycraft, to draft a letter to Dr. Selikoff. A copy of the letter is attached in which Reycraft criticizes Selikoff for his "unwise treatment of research data and public discussions" and urges greater caution in providing speculative data to the public. A cover letter indicates W.S. Hough at J-M was copied on Reycraft's letter.

Editor's note: J-M's description says a cover letter shows W. S. Hough of J-M was copied on Reycraft's letter. No cover letter is in this file, though Hough attended the Board meeting. The minutes show Reycraft's letter as a draft awaiting the members' approval.