F. H. Zimmerman to L. B. Crowell on J-M's Health Safety Booklet (1968)

A two-page "personal & confidential" memo of April 4, 1968, from F. H. Zimmerman, National Gypsum Company's director of safety, to L. B. Crowell, on the first meeting of the Asbestos Building Products Manufacturers Environmental Health Council, held April 3 at Johns-Manville's New York offices. Clifford L. Sheckler of J-M presented the proposed "Recommended Health Safety Practices" booklet and asked for complete agreement at the meeting; Zimmerman would not commit. In his opinion "Johns-Manville will go ahead with this booklet - with or without - industry-wide approval," and he recorded Sheckler's remark, quickly dropped, that "We must protect fiber glass from Asbestos products."

What it shows

Those present included Certain-teed, the Ruberoid division of General Aniline & Film, J-M, and Mrs. Clytia Chambers of Hill and Knowlton, J-M's public relations counsel, with whom the booklet was to be cleared for publication. Zimmerman warned that federal health and safety bills then before Congress could affect the industry, urged a careful review by sales, production and industrial relations, and suggested getting the company's legal opinion. National Gypsum's formal answer opposing the booklet is Motley document 842.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

F.H. Zimmerman memo to L.B. Crowell (National Gypsum Company), 4/4/68, regarding the meeting of the Asbestos Building Products Manufacturers Environmental Health Council on 4/3/68 in the conference room of the J-M building. Zimmerman states that the meeting was called by C.L. Sheckler and attended by Certain-Teed, GAF, J-M, National Gypsum Company and Hill & Knowlton, Inc. (Public Relations Council for J-M). Sheckler presented the "Recommended Health Safety Practices" proposed booklet that was developed by GAF and him. Sheckler asked attendees to review the booklet and make comments. When all comments on the booklet were in, Sheckler said he would clear it for publication with Hill & Knowlton and have a sample printing ready for approval at the next meeting. In Zimmerman's opinion, "J-M will go ahead with the booklet with or without industry-wide approval." Zimmerman suggests that National Gypsum get a legal opinion on this booklet.

Related documents

• Frank H. Zimmerman of National Gypsum to C. L. Sheckler Opposing the Asbestos-Cement Health Safety Booklet (1968)
• C. L. Sheckler to F. H. Zimmerman on a Joint Meeting, with the Asbestos-Cement Health Safety Booklet (1968)

About this copy

This is document 915 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-005210 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-005211.