Tobacco Documents Online

C54-O6 15 Mr. 0. P. McComas May 13, 1954 R. N. DuPuis I am enclosing a letter to Dr. John H. Heller, our consultant at Yale School of Medicine. It concerns his proposal for cancer researeh, for which I requested a sizeable amount in our budget. If you go along with my recoaranendation, will you please 'orward the letter to Dr. Heller in the attached envelope. The history of this case is as follows. Dr. Heller made his proposal to me verbally during a period of se-eral months beginning last fall. He also has another proposal regarding high energy electron bombardment which is not involved in the present discussion. At a meeting in Richmond several weeks ago, Dr. Heller agreed to furnish us copies of technical papers relating k.o his cancer theory. Briefly, he hopes to be able to show that smoke particles of only a certain size and electrical charge can be absorbed by the lungs. The objective then would be t6 devise a filter which would absorb the undesirable particles. Careful study of the technical papers by Dr. Smith and our own staff, plus attendance at a meeting at which Dr. Heller spoke, leads us to the conclusion that the theory is very interesting and of possible great value, but is not yet proved. Moreover, the development of a filter which would effect the desired fractionation would not be simple. There is moreover the matter of our obligation to TIRC and to the public. This is discussed in my letter to Dr. Heller. I would like to have the opinion of the Scientific Advisory Ccaeaittee on this matter. In my opinion there is less than an even chance, perhaps no - better than one in ten, that this would pay off if we sponsored it. However, with the advice and guidance of the Scientific Cas•iittee and the more extensive backing which TIRC could furnish, chances for success might be better. One more thing should be mentioned. Dr. Heller proposes that the research•be done at an Institute which he is founding, and not at Yale. He is naturally very much interested in founding this Institute and in making it a success. He has been very insistent in getting approval on this project, and claims that at least two other tobacco companies want to sponsor the work. It is difficult to assume that the desire to have a successful launching of the Institute is unrelated to the high intensity of his salesmanship. r balc .

Mr. 0. P. MaComas May 13, 1954 R. N. DuPuis In view of the enclosed recommendation with respect to sponsor- ing cancer work at Dr. Heller's Institute, which amounts to a reduction in the Research and Development budget, I am making the following request. We have had an application from Dr. Benjamin R. Warr,er, associate director of the tobacco research project at Duke Un•iv:rrsity, for a position in our department. The work of Dr. Warner's group, which is sponsored by the Demon Runyon Fund, has been concerned with fractionation of smoke particles, analysis and fractionation of smoke constituents, and related tobacco research. He is recaa®ended to me as a top-flight physical chemist. Dr. Cantor and Dr. Roe know him and reco®end that we give serious consideration to his application. I know him slightly from a previous connection. , Dr. Warner is in his early 40's. He requests a salary of $10,000, which is reasonable. . Dr. Warner's experience and training should make him very useful to us in the fields of smoke analysis and fractionation, moisture determination, instrumentat!on, packaging and filters. I have discussed the matter with Mr. 0'2Geeffe and Dr. Kaae, who feel that his talents would be put to valuable use in the department. We have no experienced physical chemist other than Dr. Mae, who is primarily a chemical engineer with a strong physics back- ground. Dr. Mace is intensely involved in day-to-day supervisory and development problems primarily with the snap pack and•has insufficient time for basic research. If we took on Dr. Warner he would head a small group doing fundamental work in the fields mentioned. It is difficult to find an experienced tobacco research man except by theft from a eoenpetitor, which is contrary to our policy. Dr. Warner has had interviews with other tobacco companies. Do you approve of modifying budget details to the extent of hiring Dr. Warner? ba