Matthew M. Swetonic on the Taped Meeting With Dr. George Wright on Mesothelioma (1969)

A one-page confidential memo of February 19, 1969, from Matthew M. Swetonic of Johns-Manville to F. J. Solon, Jr., W. P. Raines and Carl Thompson of Hill & Knowlton, J-M's public relations firm, sending a transcript "made from the tape recording of our recent meeting with Dr. George Wright on the subject of mesothelioma." Swetonic writes that once the meetings with Dr. Wright, a medical consultant to J-M, were finished, the transcripts would be edited into "a mesothelioma work book" for J-M and would help Hill & Knowlton prepare "a mesothelioma background paper." He reminds the readers that the transcript is confidential: "We would not want to in any way embarrass Dr. Wright, who was very candid with us," especially about the "capabilities and motives" of some colleagues in the asbestos and health field.

What it shows

By early 1969 J-M's public relations staff and its outside firm were preparing their own background material on Mesothelioma, the asbestos cancer, drawing on the company's medical consultant. Hill & Knowlton was already helping J-M publicize the Mount Sinai insulation workers' research program (Carl Thompson to Bert C. Goss, September 1968). The memo says the meeting was taped; it does not say whether Dr. Wright knew. J-M's own description reports that he later testified he had not known the meeting was recorded.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Transcript of meeting with Dr. Wright discussing mesothelioma. The discussion was rather free-spirited and Dr. Wright is attributed with making derogatory comments about several of his colleagues in the asbestos-health field, especially in regard to their capabilities and motives.

This document dated 2/19/69 was introduced as an exhibit at Dr. Wright's deposition taken in the insurance litigation. Dr. Wright testified he had never seen the transcript before, and that he was not aware that the meeting was being taped. Correspondence was introduced at the deposition to show that a meeting with Dr. Wright to discuss mesothelioma had taken place, and that the meeting was taped and a transcript prepared. The correspondence indicates that a meeting was held with Dr. Wright to discuss mesothelioma for the purpose of preparing a workbook and position paper on mesothelioma.