G. M. Williams of Russell Manufacturing to Sumner Simpson Suggesting the Brake Lining Association Fund Gardner's Work (1936)

A one-page letter of November 11, 1936, from G. M. Williams, president of The Russell Manufacturing Co. of Middletown, Connecticut, to Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan, answering Simpson's letter of November 10 about "the solution of the ever-present asbestosis problem." Williams wrote that Russell had spent "a very considerable amount of time, thought, and money" on the problem in the past two years with "quite satisfactory" results, and agreed that an exchange of ideas among manufacturers would help. He suggested that the Brake Lining Manufacturers' Association, which he recalled was "in quite good funds," take on Dr. Gardner's research, and said he would attend the November 17 meeting at The Biltmore.

What it shows

Another brake lining maker treated asbestosis as a problem for the whole industry and proposed that its trade association pay for the Saranac experiments. The memorandum of agreement signed after the meeting, which was moved to November 19, says the plan was explained at "the meeting of certain brake lining manufacturers."

In Johns-Manville's index

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

Expresses interest in industry-sponsored study of asbestos by Dr. Gardner. Will attend meeting on 11/17/36. Proposes that the Brake Lining Manufacturer's Assocation sponsor the study as that organization is well funded.

Related documents

• Sumner Simpson to A. S. Blagden of Keasbey & Mattison on Funding Gardner's Asbestos Research (1936)
• Asbestos Companies' Memorandum of Agreement to Underwrite Gardner's Dust Experiments (1936)

About this copy

This is document 03012 of the Sumner Simpson Papers, as numbered in the collection's index.