Dr. T. H. Davison to R. J. Riley and J. A. Parks on Counseling Marrero Pneumoconiosis Cases (1971)

A short confidential memo of April 27, 1971, headed "Pneumoconiosis Cases," from Dr. T. H. Davison, J-M's medical director at Waukegan, to R. J. Riley and J. A. Parks at the Marrero plant near New Orleans, copied to H. M. Jackson. Davison had written to Dr. Hans Weill of Tulane University and, though he had no reply yet, wanted "to get the mechanism formulated to proceed with counseling these cases as expeditiously as possible." He asks about the present status of Dr. Gidman so that he can contact him and probably arrange a visit.

What it shows

The memo is part of J-M's 1971 work with Tulane on the Marrero plant (arranged in February; see Weill's letter of April 12), and of the company's effort that year to set a standard procedure for telling workers with pneumoconiosis about their condition. It shows that by spring 1971 Marrero had known cases waiting to be counseled.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Dr. T.H. Davison writes to R.J. Riley (Marrero) and J.A. Parks (Marrero), dated 4/27/71, stating that he would like to proceed quickly with a procedure for counseling those cases noted by Dr. Weill. Dr. Davison would like to know what Dr. Gidman's present status is so that he may be contacted about this matter.