J. P. Kottcamp to S. A. Williams on Waukegan Dust Cases and X-Rays (1934)

A one-page "Personal & Confidential" memo of January 3, 1934, from J. P. Kottcamp, manager of J-M's Waukegan, Illinois, factory, to S. A. Williams, J-M vice president, headed "Dust Cases" and answering Williams's letter of December 27. Kottcamp reports that the plant physician, Dr. Keller, felt the plant should not "go to the expense of putting in our own X-Ray equipment," but should "proceed at once to having X-Rays taken of the employees listed in his report of December 20th." He asks permission to proceed, promising to "keep the cost down to the very minimum possible," and reports that the layout for a dust collecting system in the Shingle Department was nearly complete.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

J.P. Kottcamp (Waukegan Plant Manager) memorandum to S.A. Williams, 1/3/34, stating that Dr. Keller (plant doctor) and he do not feel that it is necessary to spend money for their own X-ray equipment at the plant. However, Dr. Keller feels that they should proceed at once in X-raying those employees listed in his report of 12/20. Kottcamp asks permission to proceed with the X-ray examinations and explains that he will endeavor to keep the costs down to the very minimum possible.