H Henry Ramm

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This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

Henry Ramm was the Chief Counsel and Chairman of RJ Reynolds Tobacco (later Industries). He was also one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Tobacco Industry Research Committee (TIRC) and its later manifestation, the Council for Tobacco Research (CTR) which gave the industry the appearance of doing some research into the ('possible') health effects of smoking.

According to an industry press-release:

H. Henry Ramm, a native of Chicago, received his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota and was graduated from Harvard Law School in 1929. He practiced law in New York City until 1946 and then joined the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem as solicitor and assistant to the chairman of the board.
He was elected a director of the company in 1946, became general counsel in 1955, and a vice president in 1959.
In 1970, when R.J. Reynolds Industries was formed, he became chairman of the executive committee, general counsel, and a director, until his retirement at the end of 1970. He was elected chairman and president of the CTR in January 1971 after serving as its acting chairman for two years.
[1]

Documents and Timeline

1969 June 4 The Minutes of the Committee of Counsel (Lawyers servicing the tobacco companies + top legal executives). This regular meeting is to allow the companies to share knowledge, coordinate activites and joinly run programs (CTR, etc) without being charged with conspiracy. The lawyers in attendance are

Arnold & Porter -- Abe Krash, Jerome I Chapman, ? Schneiderman
Covington & Burling -- Tommie Austern, T Oghol
Phillip Morris -- Shepard P Pollack, Paul D Smith
American Tobacco Co - Cyril F Hetsko
RJ Reynolds -- Henry Ramm
B&W/BAT -- H DeBaun Bryant, Addison Yeaman,
Shook Hardy & Bacon -- Bill Shinn
Tobacco Institute -- William Kloepfer, ex-Senator Earle Clements
Liggett & Myers -- Frederick P Haas
Lorrilard -- Arthur J Stevens

1. First item discussed by Abe Krash is the FCC's rule-making plans to kick cigarette advertising off the TV.

  • RJ Reynolds has been served with 3 subpoenas (re:) the development of advertising themes.
  • Clements says he understands that Harley O Staggers (D-WV) has written a letter to both the FTC and FCC to hold up action until the Congressional proceedings are completed.

2. Kurt Enslein has a proposed a project to analyse the Doll data. Henry Ramm handed out a memo entitled "Proposal for Analysis of Doll Data"

Richard S Doll was the famed British scientist who identified the link between smoking and ill-health with satistician Austin Bradford Hill. They were planning to get access to his original data and have computer scientist Enslein 'mine' it for defects (real, or imagined).

3. Tommie Austern [C&B] reported on:

  • Chemsol development (A tobacco modification claimed to reduce the carcinogenicity of smoke.)
  • FTC trade regulation and rules
  • 3i information retrieval.

4. Bill Shinn [SH&B] reported on Theodor D Sterling's air pollution project. They had previously assumed the cost would be $3,000, whereas it will now be about $10,000. Approved. (It may have a bearing on the Hammond data).

5. Paul Smith (PM) reported that:

"Rune Cederlof who testified at the Commerce Committee hearings here also testified in Canada where he did an excellent job. He will read a paper in Rome in September on his twin studies that indicates that mortality of smoking and non-smoking identical twins does not show any correlation related to smoking.
The Karolinska Institute of Stockolm Sweden with which he is affiliated intends to have a symposium in Virgin Islands (Henry] Ramm says that the CTR turned down a request on this."

[The SAB had rejected Lars Friberg's $20,000 proposal (temporarily) -- Friberg and Cederlof worked together and Cederlof would give airing to their views there. Carl Seltzer (of Harvard) also favoured this project and Shinn recommended it.

Addison Yeamans and Bill Kloepfer point out that the Karolinska Institute is a highly prestige organisation that also has financial support from Swedish government. So they approved funding of $20,000. [They turned this into a Special Project #4 grant]

6. Leonard Zahn (science/media lobbyist) has made a request ...

... in connection with possible employment or retainer of him by CTR. Zahn says he thinks it would be prefereable for him to be 'retained' rather than 'employed' by CTR (He could get other clients). He says he has excellent relations with the science writers and has good contacts inside and outside of government. [He received a two-year contract at $4,000 a month + travel, entertainment.]
MUCH MORE HERE . [2]


1971 Jan Ramm was elected chairman and president of the CTR in January 1971 after serving as its acting chairman for two years.

References

  1. (Ramm assumes leadership of Council for Tobacco Research. Press release, Leonard Zahn & Associates, Jan. 26, 1971.)