C. L. Sheckler to G. H. Gould on Delaying Help for a Manville Worker with Early Asbestosis (1964)

A confidential memo of May 13, 1964, from C. L. Sheckler at Johns-Manville's General Headquarters to G. H. Gould at the Manville plant about a woman employee (her name is blank on this copy) whose X-rays Dr. Kenneth W. Smith had read as "early asbestosis." No claim had been filed. Ordinarily, Sheckler wrote, the company would call her in, tell her J-M would take responsibility for treating her lung condition, and pay temporary workmen's compensation benefits for future absences, but he suggested delaying that usual procedure until a meeting on May 21-22 "in view of current circumstances." The second page is a list of occupational disease claims filed at Manville from March 20 into late April 1964.

What it shows

The "current circumstances" were the wave of claims at Manville that Sheckler wrote about the same day. He said he was confident the one-week delay would not have a major effect on whether a claim was filed, and that the case costs should be charged by division, since her work had been chiefly in the Packing and Friction Materials plant. The memo shows the company's usual practice when its own doctor found asbestosis, and a decision to hold it back while claims were rising.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Memorandum from C.L. Sheckler to G.H. Gould (Manville) 5/13/64 re Manville plant employee; describes medical diagnosis of "early asbestosis." An IH-54 has been completed but no claim has been filed. Sheckler notes exposures in two separate divisions and directs that therefore, the case costs should be charged accordingly. Sheckler states that, ordinarily, he would suggest advising the employee that J-M will assume responsibility for treatment of her pulmonary condition and would pay temporary workers' compensation benefits for any future absence due to this illness. Yet, with regard to this case, Sheckler suggests delaying this procedure "in view of current circumstances."