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Mildred Wiley v. R.J.R. Nabisco et. al.

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-188

Scope and Contents

The collection contains a variety of documents used in the trial. Some were entered as evidence while others were entered as evidence in other lawsuits. Most of the documents pertain to research on the connection between smoking and cancer and to what tobacco companies knew about that connection. In addition, the collection contains a number of articles from the Ball State Daily News that covered the trial.

Dates

  • Creation: 1953-1998

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Historical Note

In 1991 Mildred Wiley died of lung cancer at the age of 56 after having worked as a nurse at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Marion, IN since 1973. She had been a non-smoker all her life but upon her death her husband, Philip E. Wiley filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the tobacco industry's top companies. He alleged that his wife's lung cancer was the direct result of her exposure to secondhand smoke at the Veteran's Administration, which allowed its patients and staff to smoke inside its hospitals. Lawyers for Wiley argued the tobacco companies are responsible for Mrs. Wiley's death because they repeatedly attempted to cover-up the negative affects of second hand smoke and lobbied the Veterans Administration to allow smoking inside the hospitals. In March of 1998 a jury of six unanimously found the tobacco companies not liable for Wiley's death.

Extent

0.3 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

EAD finding aid created 2012/10/15 by Julie Hausknecht. EAD finding aid revised 2013/10/29 by Rebecca Marangelli.

Title
Mildred Wiley v. R.J.R. Nabisco et. al.
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA