W. B. Reitze to L. Hemerda on the Workers' Compensation Case of George Delong (1976)

A one-page confidential memo of July 2, 1976, from W. B. Reitze in Denver to L. Hemerda at J-M's Manville, New Jersey, plant, copied to Dr. Paul Kotin and others, about a workers' compensation claim for George Delong, a 40-year J-M employee who had spent more than 25 years at Manville and was then at Green Cove Springs, Florida. Delong was "gravely ill with an asbestos-related disease," and Kotin had been in touch with his doctors: "there is no doubt that his lung condition is due to past exposure to asbestos fiber." Reitze asked that the claim be filed at Manville under the New Jersey statute and wrote that it "is not to be contested," with "all consideration possible" toward prompt settlement.

What it shows

Reitze added that "the full gravity of George's condition is not known to the employees at Green Cove," and asked Hemerda to "exercise discretion regarding who is informed at the Manville location." The memo shows J-M's health staff accepting that a long-time employee's disease came from his work and settling the claim without a contest. L. Hemerda appears in J-M's 1977 claim review as the Manville plant's supervisor of safety and employment benefits (Aetna's report on J-M's Manville claims).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

W.B. Reitze writes a memorandum to L. Hemerda, dated 7/2/76, Re: Workers' Compensation case -George Delong - Transite Pipe. The memorandum notes that George Delong is gravely ill with an asbestos related disease. Reitze states that it is his understanding that the full gravity of Delong's condition is not known to the employees at Green Cove and therefore he asks Hemerda to exercise discretion regarding who he informs at the Manville location.