October 10, 2004
Judi Bailey, President
Western Michigan University
1903 West Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Dear Ms. Bailey:
As a nurse, I was aghast to hear that Western Michigan University has named Philip
Morris USA its 2003-04 ‘Employer of the Year.’
As a researcher who is funded by the National Cancer Institute to conduct studies
focused on the tobacco industry and its activities, I know that this type of award figures
prominently in Philip Morris/Altria’s “extreme makeover” campaign, an effort begun over
a decade ago to improve corporate image while continuing to profit from products that addict and kill more than 440,000 Americans yearly. Increasingly, reputable colleges and universities are divesting themselves of tobacco
stock and refusing tobacco industry largesse for research. These actions are consistent with universities’ obligations to promote public knowledge, health and welfare. Allowing
the good name of your respected institution to be linked with Altria/Philip Morris
undermines public health efforts and suggests that the tobacco industry is just ‘business
as usual.’
It is not. There is no other consumer product that when used as intended by its
manufacturer and promoter addicts and kills half its longtime users, typically after
prolonged suffering. There is no other product that is exempt from virtually every major
consumer protection law.’ ..
Ruth Malone, RN, PhD, FAAN
Professor,
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing
*****
October 10, 2004
Dear Ms. Bailey:
I am extremely disappointed that Western Michigan University has chosen to name the ·world’s largest cigarette company, Philip Morris, its 2003-04 ‘Employer of the Year.’
You have heard from many people by now that this action is a mistake. I will give the WMU officials who decided to grant this award the benefit of the doubt and assume that thev were unfamiliar with the fact that Philip Morris continues to manipulate nicotine in its products with the intent to cause dependency in its customers, continues to waffle about whether nicotine is an addictive drug, and continues to deny that secondhand smoke causes any disease (even though it is, in fact, the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
WMU officials may also be unaware that Philip Morris still spends literally billions of dollars a year on marketing campaigns that appeal to under-age kids.
I am a resident of Ann Arbor affiliated with our state’s university system, and I feel strongly that the last thing our taxpayer-supported universities should be doing is treating cigarette companies to public relations bonanzas at our expense…
Clifford Douglas, JD
Adjunct professor
University of Michigan School of Public Health
[Curator’s Note: Douglas appears to have had a change of heart about Philip Morris. On October 12, 2023, he was named president and chief executive officer of The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), which was launched in September 2017 by Philip Morris International, makers of Marlboro, with the purported aim of encouraging the use of so-called reduced risk nicotine products such as electronic cigarettes and nicotine lozenges. As Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights notes on its website, “Since its inception, FSFW has been funded by PMI despite initial claims it would also be funded by other traditional foundations such as Gates Foundation or Bloomberg Charities, both of whom quickly refuted those claims. The foundation’s tax returns, up until 2022, showed that it remained solely funded by PMI, reportedly receiving at least $120 million from the company between 2017 and 2022. PMI paid a final lump sum of $122.5 million in September 2023. In November 2023, Douglas claimed that the foundation was no longer funded by PMI. To ANR, this seems misleading, considering that the foundation has secured millions that can likely sustain the organization for a decade or more. While the financial tie may have been recently severed, the origin of the Foundation and industry influence will remain…”]
October 13, 2004
FORM LETTER FROM WMU’s PRESIDENT:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns with us. I understand the
important issue that you have raised and have discussed it with my senior
leadership.
The recognition that our Career and Student Employment Services coordinators
made to Philip Morris was not intended to be an endorsement of tobacco or PM
products. It was rather a recognition of what was judged to be the exceptional work
of their college recruiter, who is an alumnus of our university and the company’s
exemplary recruiting program.
For your information, WMU’s campus offers smoke free facilities and smoking
cessation to faculty, staff and students.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings with us.
Sincerely,
Judith I. Bailey
President