Document V3X3G8o6nV2DVyQLBrEJV7bv4

September 22, 1971 Mr. Terry O'Keefe Kidwell, O'Keefe & Williamson 200 West Douglas Wichita, Kansas 67202 Dear Mr. O'Keefe: While I was replying yesterday to your letter of September 17th, I received a telephone call from Omaha to the effect that my engagement there had been postponed (by govemmen authorities) until some later date, as yet undetermined. This makes it necessary for me to postpone meeting you in Wichita on or immediately after September 28, as original: set. I assume that the new date for my visit to Omaha will be arranged shortly, at which time, if you wish, I can get to Wichita without undue inconvenience (I hope) or cost, to either of us. This statement assumes that there is no special urgency in your seeing me, but since this may not be a correct assumption, I leave the matter in your hands to inform me as to your wishes. Meantime, I shall answer your questions as well a I can; and at the same time explain my situation, and that of the Kettering Laboratory. The Kettering Laboratory, a large technical and medical laboratory, situated in the Department of Environmental Health of the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati, operates at cost in investigations sponsored by individual industries, organizations composed of industries, and by government agencies, as well as private individuals or groups, occasionally. It provides advice and guidance to its sponsors on matters relating to its activities. and Its research work is published but its clinical/Advisory relationships to industry, government and individual patients are confidential. I brought this Laboratory into existence in 1930, and was its Director, as Head of this Department from 1930 until 1965, when I retired under University regulation, with respect to age. I have continued since, to work as Professor Emeritus of Occupational Medicine and as a member of the teaching and research staff of this laboratory, but without compensation, as a pensioned person, of course, and I maintain a consultation practice in Occupational Medicine in which I elect to accept certain responsibilities which I consider to be appropriate, largely because there are not many experienced physicians available for such activities. I make charges, based on my time, since there is no mechanism otherwise for handling the matter of compensation for my services. These, at their maximum (which can be reduced or eliminated when they are a hardship on individuals) are made at the rate of $150.00 per day when I am required to be out of the Laboratory, and roughtly at $20.00 per hour (of work) within the laboratory. Any charges made by the staff of the Laboratory on my (delegated) authority or at my request, are made at the actual cost to the Laboratory, in terms of the materials and the time of the staff members at their current salaries (and an appropriate overhead charge). It would be quite impossible for toe to estimate the cost of the total undertaking to provide the proper service for you and your clients, so that I would say that the simplest procedure would be that of your accepting no commitment beyond our initial interview in which the time, and traveling expense (if any), would be assessed and agreed upon, according to the schedule which I have indicated above. In such an interview, the general Mr. Terry O'Keefe Page 2 September 22, 1971 scope of the work to be done would be established, presumably, and the expenditure estimated. Insofar as industrial projects are involved in the work of the Laboratory, whether clinical, survey work (technical) or bibliographic or advisory activities, these are prosecuted at cost, for, as a University Laboratory, there is no profit-making, but complete cost accounting, so that the work of competent technical people in a varietj of fields is not cheap but realistic. The academic work of the Laboratory, which originally was supported by the technical and medical work done (a$ overhead) is now supported by University funds. Other research projects are completely supported by their sponsors (including such service work as is involved in various problems), since it is accepted as entirely appropriate, as a matter of University policy, that industry and other private sponsors should pay, for services rendered, at their cost (or in certain instances, at such cost as can be afforded). As you can see from this statement, the Laboratory and the University of Cincinnati, of which it is a part,are not attempting to make money, and neither am I, although I practice on a private basi, while returning (voluntarily and without any formal agreement) to the University considerably more than I earn in my professional capacity. I state this case for myself, by reason of the fact that I maintain a position which frees me entirely from any bias of any type which relates to compensation. What I do,as a member of the staff of the Laboratory, must still be, at all times, done out of public interest, and not for private compensation, the reason being that the* relationship of this University, with which I have been associated for many years, must not be compromised in any way by the financial policies of the Laboratory or by the personal performance of its faculty^ of which, as an Emeritus Professor, I am a part. As you probably know, this is not always the case within universities, and, moreover, I have had a share ' of "dead cats" slung at me because funds derived from industry are regarded by~ some persons, as being, in effect, a means of purchasing the help of the recipient in serving the commercial ends of industry. I am not especially defensive about this sta of the mind of these people, for I understand it fairly well, but I consider it advisable to let you know the public and strictly professional basis of these activities. Very truly yours, RAK: wb Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Professor Emeritus of Occupational Medicine