Dr. Kenneth W. Smith to J. O. Eby on J-M's Boston Asbestosis Symposium (1953)

A one-page letter of October 13, 1953, from Dr. Kenneth W. Smith, Johns-Manville's medical director, to J. O. Eby at Asbestos, Quebec, about a symposium in Boston. "In recent years, we have had rather poor experience in the compensation courts of the Boston area," Smith wrote, and "Our medical advisors are not aware of all industrial problems and disease particularly asbestosis." The meeting was to be held under the sponsorship of the Massachusetts Medical Society and Dr. A. J. Lanza of New York University, but "Actually, this is a Johns-Manville meeting," and Smith was bringing as many J-M doctors and attorneys as he could.

What it shows

The symposium was held on October 28, 1953 (its transcript). Smith's letter shows that J-M organized it with compensation cases in mind, while the public sponsors were the medical society and Lanza's institute.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Dr. Kenneth Smith writes to Eby (Asbestos), 10/13/53, regarding an asbestosis symposium in Boston. Dr. Smith states that J-M has had poor experience in the compensation courts in Boston and J-M's medical advisors are not aware of all the industrial problems and diseases, particularly asbestosis. "For this reason, we have decided to hold a symposium for their edification." Dr. Smith will try and get as many J-M doctors and attorneys to attend