Dr. Leroy U. Gardner to Sumner Simpson Thanking Him for Backing Another Year of Experiments (1940)

A one-page letter of January 19, 1940, from Dr. Leroy U. Gardner, director of the Saranac Laboratory, to Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan. Gardner wrote that a letter from Vandiver Brown had told him "the sponsors of our experiments on asbestosis have agreed to continue their support for another year," so that "we shall be able to finish our job." He thanked Simpson for his backing, adding that "without your support we would probably have encountered more difficulty."

What it shows

The asbestos companies' three-year agreement to pay for Leroy Gardner's animal experiments had run out, and Brown had canvassed the sponsors about a further year after Gardner's interim report of December 1939 (Brown's letter to Simpson of December 26, 1939). Two companies dropped out (Brown's letter of January 15, 1940), and Raybestos-Manhattan raised its share to $1,000 for 1940. Gardner's thanks suggest Simpson's support counted in keeping the work going.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's attorneys indexed the Sumner Simpson Papers. Their index describes this document as follows:

Acknowledges receipt of letter dated 1/17/40 from V. Brown authorizing continuation of asbestos dust experiments. Thanks Simpson for continuing support.

Related documents

• Vandiver Brown to Dr. Leroy U. Gardner Authorizing the Experiments for 1940 (1940)
• Sumner Simpson to Vandiver Brown Agreeing to Pay $1,000 for Gardner's 1940 Experiments (1940)
• Vandiver Brown to Sumner Simpson on Two Sponsors Leaving the Saranac Experiments (1940)
• Vandiver Brown to Sumner Simpson Enclosing Gardner's Interim Report (1939)

About this copy

This is document 04349 of the Sumner Simpson Papers, as numbered in the collection's index.