Document 6Rweer3yaQZammyZ3LkkwR2gg

So r Dr. William J. McConnell To Retire----- Metropolitan Life Executive An Outstanding Authority On Occupational Working Hazards; Got Legion Of Merit From War Department. hr William I McConnell, director >' the saiciv and < hcaitli Smj reu uf Metropolitan Life's health and wetfalr division and associate medical director of that company, iv retiring at the end oi the year a/ter being with Metropolitan 27 yean. In a country which ii the interna* tional leader in industry. which hat more mines. factories and other places where raw material is processed than any other nation, he it regarded si an outstanding authority on industrial hygiene. Some* limes he has been designated as a man who has dedicated his b/e to helping de lect. expJore and successfully reduce the hacardi of employment The turveys and studies which he has conducted, either for Die Government, the Army's medical sennet, private industry or fnr Metropolitan Life, together with his work in relation to safety measures which have been adopted, have been an important factor m helping cut down fatalities caused by occupational dis eases For insrancc. hit participation m combatting silicosis (dust particles in mines and plants which have resulted m many occupational diseases, some fatal}, is widely recognized. Haadliag # ExpUstve* la MuaitSM* Plants The work of Col. McConnell as clnei. industrial hygiene branch, safety and security division. Office of Chief of Ordnance, was so highly regarded by the War Department that lie was awarded the Legion of Mem At the direct representative of the Surgeon General. Col. McConnell was charged nh the development and su pervision of a comprehensive program to prevent general illness and occupa tional disease and to promote maximum health and efficiency among civilian em ployes engaged in Ordnance establish ments throughout the I'nned States. One of the biggest problem v as poisonmg from handling of exp*/*ivcs, par ticularly TNT In reading the citation Colonel Crosby Field, assistant safety director Office Chief of Ordnance said: "Colonel McConnell's assignment was of neat import inasmuch as these initalTattont were fraught with dangers of vinous toxic exposures requiring con stant surveillance and control He launched into an aggressive program with unusual energy. loresighi. per spicacity and comprehension, success fully reducing disabling Miners from toxic explosives to aa insignificant leiel thereby insuring full utilization of avail able power for ammunition production." Deep in Number *f Faufibee During World War I the L*-S faei tics which produced 404fr of the mtlita explosives, used bv the Allies, report a ratio of LM fatalities for every bills pounds of explosives manufactured World War it the Government-own. contractor - operated plants prodoc 9S4* of all C' S manufactured mihta explosives, and the number of faialu offered. f,? each billion pmiml* of erplimves produced lJ been rut down it. live" Colonel Field continued "It Ts believed that this is the first large-scale demonstration of hat can he accomplished in a large industry ufrenng^many aenod* health and accident hazards by a vigorous industrial hygiene and saiety program* Dr. McConnell is the author of a senes of research studies on high tem perature and nurnerou* articles on in dustrial healrh subjects published m the Rulletin of the l*. 5 Public Health Service. L'niud Stale* Bureau of Mines, Proceedings of American Heating and Ventilating Society and other health publications ..devoted to industry. Also he is a contributor to Cecil's Textbook rm Medicine, Lanai and Goldberg's Textbook on Industrial Hygiene; and Conn's* Textbook on Current Therapy HU Camr Born in Pittsburgh Dr McConnell attended high school there and then went to St. Louis t'mveraity where he was graduated in 1914 with a BS. de gree at the college and an M.D degree from its medical school Kia internship was <t Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh Receiving a reserve com mission in the Army Medical Corps he taw service nn the Mexican border in 1916 and then helped organize and be came medical officer oF (he J6th infantry regiment. Dr. McConnell in 1919 went with the Industrial Hygiene Department of the I'mted States Public Healih Service and Inter was with the l/nited Stf.tea [lurean of Mines where he conducted industrial health surveys, research ude- into the physiological effects of high temperatures and various humidities, carlton monoxide ami (he relation of various dusts to silicosis and tubercu losis. While engaged in these studies at the Bureau of Mines experimentation station at Pittsburgh He was appointed lecturer in industrial hygiene at Uni versity of Pittsburgh Medical School. Other industry affiliations of His uefe with Philadelphia Health Council Gen eral Electric Co and Bodd Manufactur ing Wheel Co. Studia* Caaduatad foe MtinpallUa Dr. McConnell joined Metropolitan Life in 1929 when Lee K. Frankei wits vice president in eharge of the com pany'* health and welfare operations. His first work, however, was with the company's Policyholders Service Rurcsu. For the Metropolitan Life Dr. McConneUhas conducted a number of in dustrial hygiene investigations of the pioneer variety. Among them were the study of silicosis in the foundry Indus try; of asbestosts fa microscopic dust which produces an inffamatory condition of the Kings! in the asbestoa industry; and an inquiry into leather industry hazards. When this country entered World War IT Dr. McConnell obtained a leave of absence from Metropolitan Life and again served in the Army Medical 239 Years of Service Pric.Ls P,rcule "Bocbum it confine* ia operation* csduataly to a --fact dkmclt, the Praabftarian Minotm1 Fuad aajoyt a tamarfcably low mortality an4 Upaa ratio. Low ad. miiiiimdn com. coupled with the face that the Fuad hu BtLiahi force axpaoeae, permit extremely low act coat--*m fact, the low*t of alt compasses* according to Beat's Ufa Insurance Raportt.* -- From The Mroedeest, Philadelphia Insurance Underwriter's Official Jfagggmg. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS' FUND AJatandar Mackia, PratidaM RrHnnheart* Square, Philadelphia J. Pa. 1717 Two Hundred Thir+y-oma Yaart -- I9S4 dr willikm i McConnell Corps A* * rejiresenutive wf the Sur geon General he na* A*nrned to the saiety division of the clnei oi Ordnance to direct the Ordnance hygiene prugram He advanced through (he vartous grades to colonel, medical corpi. and m |<W5 was awarded the Legion of Mem tor (he services explained earlier m <h>* article. Active in Many Orfaniutiana Some activities of Dr McConnell m associations of which he s. ur ha* been a member, in part follow American Public Health Association committee on atmospheric comfort and appraisal of industrial health American Public Health Association chairman of committee on appraisal oi industrial health services, and commit tee on atmospheric comfort American Society of Heating and Ventilating Eneineers committees hav ing to do with Ait conditioned spaces American Standards Association toxic dusts and industrial sanitation <n man ufacturing establishments committees American W elding S-viciv Safety recommendations and medical advisory committee Federal Civil Defense Administration' part-time consultant oi division of spe cial weapons Home Office Safes* C-'mmuiee con- uliant to home ortice buddings division with respect to empiove* .'.,mj>laints on lighting, vemil.iimn and uomble ex- |Ki*ure to toxic sigisiance' New York s>iie bep^nment of La- lior- committees having ( mih rule- relating to comrr.1 oi ulici iu*t m scone crushing operation* jr.-i -unon r> m- dusmal code relating i , c n:rji of dui(. gases and mines t*. S Atmv rvnvjlnri the Sur geon General He h** i been on committee* ni NstnAi\..*iauon oi Manufacturers and \a* -. Fund for Medical Education Ha ProparW Many Ppr 5v*>me paper* uru-to . McCon nell in cnllalnraison lollow - er* in pan Lead tw*inninc tn physiological ri trade*, . tempera tures and nun-i-ii-ie. - imlustriA. physician and t>* ,>* - ei*ei*iin in hi* tucce' . Ati... - Mvle poitoil ing ; healih mr -ux* *efvice exhaust gA*<* i r * , gasoline, men ,j leria 111 Air . r ucal sugge*i * health cf 1* ^ have been as these wnir ; in collahoraii n - .-m* ethlw '-ating liar 'ird*. pr.c -* n mdutrv id ihe'f >ecis <uc 1 * himself o ... For the r i*1 .* ha* been du*tru! h*.- menu Sch- l'niver*n> <1jv'- and oi them , . McConnel --ir m in depart Yew YorV 'Il'.llliX ! ec numbe