Document 06wVM9R4Q92OXLK8O44n9Nq7M

N ovem ber i 1, 1954 CONFIDENTIAL . D r. W illiam F . A sh e . D epartm en t of P reven tive M edicin e Th e Ohio State U n iv e r sity Colu m b u s 10, Ohio _ D ear Bill: I h asten to rep ly to you r le t t e r of N ovem b er 9. I sh ou ld le t you know th at m y h aste com es of n e ce ssit y , sin ce I le a v e Cin cin n ati on n ext M on day to be in En glan d fo r th e th r ee w eek s t h e r e a ft e r . My con cern , and p o ssib ly th at of oth ers a s w ell, as to the p u rp oses an d ac tiv it ie s of D r . Youn g, d o es not a r ise out of h is in d u str ial m ed ical p r a c t i c e -:in N o r t h A m e r ic a n A v ia t io n , I n c ., w h ich m a y b e , an d , fr o m y ou r r e p o r t , p r o b ab ly i s, good . F a t h e r I am co n ce r n e d w ith h is p r o fe s s i o n a l v ie w p o in t w h ich fo r c e r t a in r e a s o n s i s o p e n t o so m e q u e st io n in m y m in d ; 'with h is att it u d e tow ar d m e d ic a l ed u cation in ou r fie ld , w h ich I am con vin ced is ad o le sce n t , if n ot em b r y on ic, alth ou gh it m ay m e r e ly be-d esign ed to prom ote h im se lf an d h is- presen t'an d'fu tu re-iti- h is p r o fe ssio n a l r e la t io n s w ith N or th A m e r ican an d o t h e r s; an d w ith w h at h e i s lik e ly to in volve Ohio State U n iv e r sit y an d y o u r se lf in , by w ay of con fu sion of p u r p ose an d accom p lish m en t. . A s to h is p r o fe ssio n al attitu de an d o th e r s, I w on der what ar e the p u r p o se s an d p o lic ie s of th e in d u st r ial m e d ical se r v ic e w h ich he prom oted so m e t im e ago - an in co r p o r at e d m e d ical se r v ic e , th e n am e of w hich ev ad es m y m em ory , w as ad v e r t ise d in so m e jo u r n al, tr ad e o r p r o fe ssio n al, I can 't sa y w h ich . Som eon e se n t th e sh e e t to m e o r in q u ir ed ab ou t it , an d I th ough t Xcould fin d it, but I can n ot, p rob ab ly b e cau se m y in form an t or q u estion er w an ted it r etu r n ed . Th is m ay be in e xist e n ce yet or it m ay h ave died, but m atter s of both p u rp ose an d com peten ce and of m ed ical ad v e r t isin g en tered in to th e situ ation . Th is m ay h ave b een th e r e su lt of you th .an d e n th u siasm , but l am p rob ab ly bein g ch ar itab le in ad van cin g th is p o ssib le explan ation . A s to h is id e as on m e d ical edu cation , e x p r e sse d in an in for m al m eetin g in Ch icago so m e tim e ago , an d in h is issu an c e of a bu lletin to m e d ical co lle ge s in 1951 an n oun cin g a r e sid e n cy co u r se of train in g join tly sp o n so r e d b y O SU an d N o r t h A m e r ic a n A v ia t io n , I n c . , t h e l e s s sa i d t h e b e t t e r . M akin g e v e r y p o ssib le allow an ce fo r h is bein g in a r t ic u la t e in th e e x p r e s sion of h is id e as, th e calm p resu m ption se t forth in th is bu lletin th at th is co u r se w ould q u alify a m an fo r a d ip lom a fr o m th e U n iv er sity , fo r th e p r a c t i c e o f i n d u st r ia l m e d ic in e , artd fo r Bo a i*d c e r t ific a t io n , w as n ot h in g D r . W illiam F . A sh e - (2) - N o v e m b e r i l , 1954 sh ort of ch ild ish . And the m an n er of doin g it on a p r o fe ssio n al letter h ead fr o m h is own o ffice gav e on e to w on der where th e U n iv er sity fitted into th e p ict u r e . It w as in ept to sa y th e le a st , cer t ain ly n ot le ss so , in r elatio n to som e so r t of accep tab le an d car e fu lly d esign ed tr ain in g, th an th at offered by th e G e n e r al M ot o r s C o r p o r at io n in t h e ir join t r e lat io n sh ip to th e Sagin aw G en er al H osp ital. 1 w as v e r y cau tiou s in com m en tin g on th e p r o gr am .as an n oun ced, w h ich , fo r obviou s r e a so n s, cam e up fo r com m en t h e r e an d fo r q u e r ie s fr o m the Cou n cil on M ed ical Ed u cation an d H osp itals of the AM A, say in g th at in due c o u r se th e q u ality of th e se r v ic e s in both in t r am u r al an d e x t r a m u r a l t r ain in g w ould h ave to be look ed in to. W hat you t e ll m e in d i cates th at the plan t p r o gr am m ay be poten tially good, but who su p e r v ise s th e stu d en t; an d is h e le ar n in g o r m e r e ly doin g a jo b ? You know th e p r ob lem h e r e a s w ell a s I do, b u t 1 st ill fe e l so m e con cer n fo r v/hat you m ay be h eld resp on sib le fo r by you r frien d s and asso c iat e la th is field . Th at is the m ain r e a so n fo r m y sk e p t icisxh a s to an yth ing- t h at d o e s n ot m e e t th e e y e . M o r e o v e r n e it h e r O SU n o r an y o t h e r sc h o o l can a ffo r d t o t ie i t s e l f u p in an y t r ain in g p r o g r a m w ith a sin gle in d u st r ial o r gan isat io n , p a r t ic u la r ly on e in w h ich th e p r in c ip al in th e s ch ool is em ploy ed . Now as to Bob P age an d h is la t e st en th u siasm . The O ccu pation al H ealth In st it u t e , if it is to b e ju d ge d b y it s p i- o n o u acem en t s, i s e n gage d in (1) su rvey in g th e qu ality of in d u st r ial m ed ical fa c ilit ie s an d se r v ic e s and c e r t ify in g t h o se th at p a ss m in im u m st a n d a r d s of e x c e lle n c e ; (2) p r ovid in g fe llo w sh ip s fo r t r ain in g in o ccu p at io n al m e d ic in e ; (3) giv in g a d v ic e an d gu id an ce to in d u st r y in m a t t e r s m e d ic a l an d h y gie n ic; an d (4) sp o n so r in g in v e st igat io n s in th e fie ld of in d u st r ial h ealth . T h ese r e p r e se n t ap p r e ciab le e xp an sio n s of th e fu n ct io n s W hich w e r e t ak en on , b r ie fly an d u n su c c e ssfu lly , fo r la c k of fun ds an d p r e st ig e , by th e A m e r ican Fou n dation of O ccu p ation al H ealth , w h ich , a s you p r o b ab ly kn ow , w as fou n ded by th e In d u st r ial M ed ical A sso ciatio n to p rom ote in d u strial m ed ical p r ac tice by in spectin g an d ce r t ify in g in d u st r ial m e d ical se r v ic e s (takin g o v e r th is fu n ction fr o m the A m erican College of Su rgeon s), an d to fu rth er m ed ical train in g by the . p rovision of fellow sh ip s. The p r esen t organ ization w as lifted by P age out of th e con tr ol of I .M . A . , but is p r e su m e d by h im to be en titled to th e aid an d en cou ragem en t of I . M. A . th rough its variou s organ ization al ar m s. The organ isation h as no o fficial p r o fessio n al sp on sorsh ip , an d se v e r al p r o fe ssio n al m em b ers of its Board of D ir ecto r s w ere appoin ted ex-officio a s fr o n t e sp ie c e s, bu t h ave no kn ow ledge of its p lan s an d p o lic ie s. A s n ear a s I can d isco v e r from m akin g a s b r oad an in qu iry a s cir cu m stan ce s p e r m it t ed (th is m at t e r w as d isc u sse d se r io u sly an d w ith so m e co n sid e r ab le con cer n in th e la st m eetin g o f th e Cou n cil on In d u st r ial ^^ealth, sin ce B ill Sh ep h er d , C h air m an of th e C ou n cil, is a m e m b e r (w ith out an y kn ow ledge w h atever of th e situ ation ) of th e Bo ar d of D ir e ct o r s of th e O KI, h avin g been put on the Board e x- o fficio ; a s p ar t of th e p r o fe ssio n al fron t).P age is run n in g th e sh ow , tak in g ad van tage of h is o ffice a s P r e sid e n t of I .M .A . to c a r r y I. M. A. in to it , an d coun tin g on h is own p r e st ig e , a s M ed ical D ir ect o r of Stan d ar d O il Com p an y (N. J. ) to sw in g th e fin an cial an d p r o fe ssio n a l w eigh t K f 001S738 D r . W illiam F , A sh e - (3) - N o v e m b e r 11, 1954 r eq u ir ed to m ak e it go. Q uite a n u m ber of h is a d v e r sa r ie s a r e open ly c r it ic a l, an d som e of h is fr ie n d s a r e w on derin g w h eth er o r n ot h e h as d eveloped d elu sion s of gr an d eu r . M ean w h ile h e, aft e r in stigatin g th is o r gan izatio n , w ent aw ay to Eu rop e an d th e N e ar E a st fo r se v e r a l m on th s, an d h ad not r et u r n ed at m y la st acco u n t. Th e in volvem en t of Steve H alos in th e th in g a s V ice P r e sid e n t , is a so u r ce of eith er am u sem en t o r of : deep con cer n to v ar io u s p eo p le, depen den t upon w h eth er th ey r e ga r d Steve a s a crook or m e r e ly a s a cru de an d n ot v er y b r igh t fellow . No one is p r e p a r e d to.d en y th at h e kn ow s h ow to lo o k ou t foi* h im se lf in fin an cial m a t t e r s, an d t h e r e fo r e h is in volvem en t in an y o r gan isat io n of h igh m o r a l, p r o fe ssio n al an d e sse n t ially ph ilan th ropic p u r p o se s, h as cau se d som e ey eb r ow s to lift . So m e of th e p eop le in in d u st r y view w ith con cer n th e c e r t ific a t io n o f t h e ir fa c ilit ie s b y th e C o lle ge of Su r ge o n s (now w ith d raw n ), th en by th e Fou n d ation (now ab ou t t o b e w ith d r aw n ), an d now b y th e In st it u t e . W hat n ext, th ey a sk , an d w h at d o e s it m e an ? If t h is fa lls on its face , who th en ? M oreover, m an y of u s feel th at an agen cy of th is so r t , w h ich so lic it s m em b er sh ip an d su p p or tin g fu n ds fr o m in d u st r y alo n e, i s in a p o o r p o sit io n to o p e r at e c r it ic a lly in r e la t io n to th e m e d ical an d h ygien ic e ffo r ts of in d u stry. Who d oes w h at, an d to w h om , an d who p ays for it? A s you can se e , th is o r gan isatio n lias no relation sh ip to an yth in g, and le a st of a ll to th e In t e r im Bo ar d o f O ccu p ation al M ed icin e, (w h ich is soon to d isso lv e when O ccu p ation al M ed icin e t ak e s it s p lace w ith P u b lic H ealth , an d'Aviation M ediciiie, a s an affiliate of th e A m erican Board of P reven tive M e d icin e ). In m y opin ion th e In st it u t e will- d ie of st a r v a t io n , an d in evid en ce of m y feelin g th at it sh ou ld d isap p e ar o r u t te r ly ch an ge it s fo r m , I h ave ad v ise d Eth yl Corp oration n ot to m ak e an y con tribu tion to its su p p ort un til l a m sa t isfie d a s to it s p u r p o se s, p o licie s an d stan din g. It w ill eith er h ave to m ak e it se lf u n d erstood an d p r o fe ssio n ally r e sp o n sib le , o r it is fin ish ed I do n ot know a m e d ical d ir e ct o r who a t th is poin t is p r e p ar ed to u r ge h is in d u stry to su p p ort it. No doubt th er e w ill be so m e, b u t th ey can n ot be en ough fo r even on e of th e fu n ction s u n d ertak en , an d th ey w ill n ot con tin ue u n le ss t h e r e is a sou n d p r o gr a m . Th e c o st of th e su r v e y s an d c e r t ific a t io n s alo n e am o u n t s t o fo r t y t o six t y th ousan d d o lla r s p e r y e a r , a c c o r d in g to th e r eco r d s of the College of Su rgeon s, an d th eir p r o gr am w as recogn ized , by th em selv es, n ot to be en tirely ad equ ate. A t th is tim e the I. M .A . is un happy, the oth er p r o fe ssio n al gr ou p s a r e in d ifferen t o r an t ago n istic, an d in m y opin ion , Bob h as eith er gon e off th e d eep en d o r h as d ealt h ast ily , ar r o gan tly an d ir r e sp o n sib ly w ith se r io u s p r o fe ssio n a l fu n ctio n s. T h e se , of c o u r se , a r e opin ion s on p eop le an d situ atio n s w h ich a r e e x p r e sse d to you in con fid en ce. I do n ot allow m y se lf to in du lge in g o ssip o r to draw con clu sion s fr o m h e ar say evid en ce, but on e h as to be cau tiou s n ot to be draw n into r e lat io n sh ip s th at a r e d isa st r o u s. I am p r e p ar e d to give you an y ad vice I can , even when it is b ase d on u n certain ties an d im p on d erab les, sin ce you, as w ell a s I, a r e pit to the n e c e ssit y of takin g ce r tain actio n s, w h ich if th ey a r e m ist a k e s, a r e lik e ly to be ir r e t r ie v a b le . Kf 0019739 D r . W illia m F . A sh e - {4 } - N o v e m b e r 11, 1954 Th is h as d evelop ed in to qu ite a le t t e r - m o r e in fa c t th an I h ad tim e fo r But I do n ot begru dge the tim e, . W ith k in d e st r e g a r d s an d b e st w ish e s, a s a lw a y s, . Sin cerely y ou rs, RAK ef Rob ert A . Xeh oe, M . D.