Research

New York State Department of Law Tobacco Institute Records


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
This series consists of printout copies of electronically scanned images of documents related to the operation of the Tobacco Institute. The records were received as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. The records were created by the Scientific Affairs Division of the Institute and primarily consist of material collected from or presented at scientific and medically related conferences and publications. A wide variety of topics related to tobacco production, use, advertising, and marketing as well associated heath issues and concerns are included in the series. Records are restricted.
Creator:
Title:
Department of Law Tobacco Institute records
Quantity:

634 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:
1976-1998
Series Number:
B1793

Arrangement

Organized in thirteen subseries: Subseries 1, Alphabetical Subject Files, ca. 1980-1984, 12 c.f.; Subseries 2, Dr. George E. Schaefer's Chronological Files, ca. 1984, 9 c.f.; Subseries 3, Transcripts and Reports of Scientific Meetings by Debora D. Kramer, 1982-1985, 4 c.f.; Subseries 4, Tobacco Observer, 1982-1984, 2 c.f.; Subseries 5, Marvin A. Kastenbaum Science Files, ca. 1980-1984, 4 c.f.; Subseries 6, Director of Statistics Marvin A. Kastenbaum Miscellaneous Files, 1981-1985, 5 c.f.; Subseries 7, Statistical Journals, 1985-1987, 2 c.f.; Subseries 8, Dr. Charles Waite's Office Files, ca.1983-1986, 4 c.f.; Subseries 9, Environmental Tobacco Smoke Material, ca. 1986, 2 c.f.; Subseries 10, Research Files, 1978-1986, 1 c.f.; Subseries 11, Library Files, 1981-1989, 8 c.f.; Subseries 12, Dr. Charles Waite and Dr. Marvin A. Kastenbaum's Scientific Subject Files, 1976-1986, 9 c.f.; Subseries 13, Debbie Schroonmaker Health Files, ca. 1985-1987, 4 c.f.

B1793-01A, B1793-01C, B1793-01D, B1793-02:Numerical.

B1793-01B:Alphabetical

Administrative History

The Tobacco Institute (TI) consisted of 11 companies that manufactured or marketed cigarettes and other tobacco products. The Institute was incorporated in 1958 as a trade association intended to foster public understanding of smoking and health controversy and to "increase awareness of the historic role of tobacco and its place in the U.S. economy;" to cooperate with governmental agencies and public officials with reference to tobacco industry; to collect and disseminate information related to the use of tobacco published by any federal or state government agency, or from any other non-industry source; to gather information regarding federal/state legislative and administrative developments affecting tobacco industry; and to promote "good will."

The Tobacco Institute Testing Laboratory was set up in 1967 to keep track of Federal Trade Commission's Tar and Nicotine Laboratory and ensure it's work was accurate. In 1974 field offices were established on regional basis in response to efforts to regulate smoking in public places and workplace. The duties of field representatives were to advise the Institute of regional developments in regions, to serve as spokesmen for the Institute; to work/cooperate with local tobacco industries. The Tobacco Observer, a specialty publication on tobacco issues, was established in the 1970s as the Institute's public communications activities were expanded.

The role of the Scientific Division was to support the objectives and mission of the Institute itself, to advise the President, to provide back-up and support for federal and state lobbying activities, and to make such materials as were developed for these purposes available to other divisions. In addition, the members of the Division responded to requests from the wider scientific community to present the Institute's side of the dialogue on smoking and health.

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of printout copies of electronically scanned images of documents related to the operation of the Tobacco Institute. The records in this accretion was created by the Scientific Affairs Division of the Institute and consists primarily of material collected from scientific and medically related conferences and publications. Also present is a small amount of photographic images and contact sheets taken for use in The Tobacco Observer, the Tobacco Institute's informational publication. Also present in small quantities are memoranda and correspondence, notes and reports on conferences and publications, statistical reports, and rebuttals and responses to articles and reports.

A wide variety of topics related to tobacco production, use, advertising, and marketing as well associated heath issues and concerns are included in the series. Also included are a total of 77 audio cassette tapes. While tapes are unlabeled, the majority appear to be speakers recorded at scientific or medical conferences.

Subseries 1 primarily consists of copies of articles from medical journals. Article topics are related to smoking, tobacco use, and diseases allegedly related to tobacco use. Topics include cancer, coronary heart disease, vascular disease, regulation of smoking, tobacco advertising, second hand smoke. Also included in the series are papers presented at conferences and government agency publications.

Subseries 2, the chronological files of Dr. George E. Schaefer, consists primarily of papers presented at medical conferences, articles from medical, industrial, and scientific conferences related to smoking and health issues, and computer printout results of literature searches. A few routine memoranda are also present.

Subseries 3 consists of reports and transcripts of scientific conferences. These records were created or collected by Debora D. Kramer and document proceedings of conferences sponsored by such organizations as the Air Pollution Control Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, the American Occupational Health Conference, the American Heart Association, the American Thoracic Society, the International Cancer Congress, and the Conference on Cardiovascular Epidemiology.

Subseries 4 consists of contact sheets and prints taken for possible use in the Tobacco Observer, Susan M. Stuntz, editor. No captions or identifying information is supplied. One draft article is present.

Subseries 5, consists of Marvin A. Kastenbaum's science files. Among the various types of records are memos, copies of articles from medical journals, position papers or articles, analysis and rebuttals to papers and articles, smoking surveys, descriptions of grant research projects sponsored by the Center for Tobacco Research, resumes, statements for a House of Representatives subcommittee investigation, and articles on statistics.

Subseries 6, consists of Director of Statistics Marvin A. Kastenbaum's miscellaneous files and includes published articles, reports, and rebuttals and reviews of articles. Topics include smoking risk factors, coronary heart disease, and public smoking.

Subseries 7, consists primarily of daily reports of external communication staff for 1985. Also included is a small amount of briefing material on the banning of tobacco advertising.

Subseries 8, consists of Dr. Charles Waite's office files and includes studies on the economic impact of tobacco in various states, published medical articles, rebuttals to surgeon general's reports, and rebuttal to other reports and studies.

Subseries 9, consists of material related to environmental tobacco smoke ( i.e., passive smoking or secondhand smoke) and includes memoranda and reports on conferences, hearings, and meetings.

Subseries 10 consists of research files and includes papers and reports of conference proceedings, published papers, literature reviews, memoranda, and correspondence. Subjects include tar measurements, effects of birth order and age in cancer incidence, smoking rates, cigarette manufacturing, life expectancy, and the selection by B'nai B'rith of Horace R. Kornegay, chairman of the Tobacco Institute, for its 1985 Americanism Award.

Subseries 11, consists of library files and include statistical reports, National Cancer Institute monographs, articles from medical journals, Federal Statistics report of the President's Commission (1971); Journal of Advertising Research articles, and material on foreign trade and voter registration turn out. Articles and papers are from such institutions and conferences as the Philip Morris Science Symposium; U.S. Congress Office of Technical Assessment; American Statistical Association; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare; National Institute of Health; and the Congressional Research Services of the Library of Congress.

Subseries 12, consists of the scientific subject files of Dr. Charles Waite and Dr. Marvin A. Kastenbaum and include reprints and copies of articles and papers from scientific and medical conferences and publications.

Subseries 13, Debbie Schroonmaker's health files, consists of copies of papers and notes from medical and scientific conferences. Sponsors of the conferences include American Public Health Association, American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, American Heart Association, and the International Congress on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

B1793-01A: This accretion consists of microfilm copies of the contents of four boxes of documents from accretion B1793-01: Subseries 2, Dr. Schaefer's Chronological Files; and subseries 5, Kastenbaum's Science Files.

B1793-01B: This accretion consists of printout copies of elctronically scanned library card catalog entries. Cards are categorized by subject and title and numbered TI30470001-TI30482454. Boxes were formerly numbered 3047 and 3048.

B1793-01C: This accretion consists of boxes previously numbered 0617, 0619, 3069, 6036-6037, 6041-6045, 6053-6054, 6572-6574, 6578-6579, 6581-6584, and 6586-6589.

Alternate Formats Available

B1793-01A is a microfilm copy of documents contained in boxes originally numbered 404, 403, 470, and 471.

B1793-01: Microfilm: 6 rolls, 16 mm.

The Tobacco Institute and Center for Tobacco Research records were digitized via a collaborative project with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and are hosted online by the University of California-San Francisco as part of its Industry Documents Library/Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Collection.

Related Material

B1721 Council for Tobacco Research files contains related records.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Container list is available at the repository.

Custodial History

The series was made available by the NYS Attorney General's Office as a result of the November 23, 1998, Master Settlement Agreement between the U.S. tobacco industry and various states' attorneys general. The series was accessioned by the New York State Archives under Records Disposition Authorization 18573.

B1793-01A: Six rolls of master negatives were sent to the State Records Center for secure storage TL# 01-06.

Access Restrictions

Restricted in part. Personnel records are restricted to protect personal privacy.

Access Terms

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