Vandiver Brown to Sumner Simpson Sending the Memorandum of Agreement for Signatures (1936)

A two-page letter of November 23, 1936, headed "Re: Asbestos Dust Experiments," from Vandiver Brown, Johns-Manville's general attorney, to Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan. As agreed with Simpson "last Thursday," Brown enclosed a memorandum of agreement, already signed by Johns-Manville, for the manufacturers underwriting "Dr. Gardner's experiments," and asked Simpson to sign for his company and send it on to F. H. Schluter of Thermoid to collect the other signatures. He suggested getting "as many signatures as possible" before sending it to Gatke or Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, which "may be more inclined to go along if they have tangible evidence that numerous other companies are participating."

What it shows

Brown planned to keep the single signed original and send photostatic copies to each company. Nine companies were listed by name, with space for three more. The signed memorandum is in the Simpson papers and in the Motley 1,000.

In Johns-Manville's index

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

Transmittal letter for Memorandum of Agreement to be signed by those companies who agree to sponsor asbestos dust studies by Dr. Gardner. Requests Simpson to sign for Raybestos and pass on to Schluter at Thermoid who will obtain signatures of other participating companies. (unsigned copy attached)

Related documents

• Asbestos Companies' Memorandum of Agreement to Underwrite Gardner's Dust Experiments (1936)
• Vandiver Brown to Leroy Gardner Authorizing the Saranac Asbestos Experiments (1936)
• Sumner Simpson to Vandiver Brown on Signing the Saranac Memorandum of Agreement (1936)
• Sumner Simpson to F. E. Schluter of Thermoid Sending the Saranac Memorandum for Signatures (1936)

About this copy

This is document 03025-03028 of the Sumner Simpson Papers, as numbered in the collection's index.