1933: Asbestos: Harvard and General Electric.

Today, we go back to 1933 and act like a fly on the wall concerning a December 14th letter from Harvard University School of Public Health (I cannot read the name of the author) to Gerard Swope, then the President of General Electric, Inc. There is a lot to unpack in this letter.

Initially, the letter discusses how the author and Philip Drinker were waiving their consulting fees during the depression “to keep men employed.” This gives some flavor to the middle of the depression and the general suffering.

As to asbestos, the author believes that the lawsuits against Johns-Manville arising from asbestos at the time were causing them a great deal of trouble, but that many of those claims were “quite justified.” That is interesting and certainly not the position taken by John-Manville at the time. See the discussion in https://theasbestosblog.com/?p=769 in the Epilog of that blog discussing the earlier lawsuits and settlements.

Next, the discussion on asbestos dust at the General Electric manufacturing facilities in Bridgeport, CT and York, PA. is very interesting. In summary, they knew of asbestos dust issues affecting their workers in their plants already by 1933.

Finally, the author is recommending that General Electric be pro-active in testing, including obtaining preliminary dust counts and engaging the services of Philip Drinker to help out. In 1933, that is quite something.

Sometimes history comes to life through letters like this. Let me know what you think either by leaving a comment or sending me an email to TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com. Thanks. Marty