WARNING: This site deals only with the corporate corruption of science, and makes no inference about the motives or activities of individuals involved.
    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
    Please read the OVERVIEW carefully, and make up your own mind.

This foundation was used in 1972 as a way of laundering $5,000 in funds paid at the request of Theodor Sterling (an associate of the controllers of the foundation at Washington University in St. Louis) to support a sub-stream on human health at a major pollution conference in Tel Aviv.

It is not clear how much was known by the controllers of ALEPH about the source of the funds, but the relationship seems to have gone on for a few years. Sterling was still planning to use the foundation as a funding channel two years after the first effort (in 1974). At that time he was planning another Israeli conference with a totally-controlled tobacco industry workshop.

However the fact that the two principals behind the ALEPH Foundation never developed direct links with the tobacco industry themselves, suggests that, even if they suspected Sterling's dealings were dubious, they were not inclinded to openly support the industry other than launder these funds (which would have come to them as a lawyer's check).

1972 Feb 29: Theodor Sterling is writing to Bill Shinn at Shook Hardy & Bacon, seeking $5,000 to support a panel at a Pollution: Engineering conference being held in Tel Aviv. He has asked for the payment to be laundered through the ALEPH Foundation.

1972 Mar 1: Bill Shinn of Shook Hardy & Bacon is writing to the Committee of Counsel members, who handle the allocation of Special Account #4 money to hirelings.

The work which Dr. Theodor Sterling has been doing in connection with air pollution became unusually valuable following the President' s transmission on January 31 of an air pollution message to Congress, which you have received, that attempted to implicate cigarette smoking in 95% of lung cancer and 90% of chronic obstructive lung disease.

    Dr. Sterling has consulted with us in connection with this message and has also, at Jack Mills request, attended meetings in Washington. We would like for him to have every opportunity to continue his work in this area and he has recently submitted a request to us to help fund a panel on "Effects of Pollutants on Human Health." This panel will meet in connection with an International Meeting of the Society of Engineering Science in Tel Aviv, Israel, during June. A copy of the program, is enclosed.

    Dr Sterling is requesting a grant to the ALEPH Foundation, which will administer the funds. Copies of both the letter from Dr Sterling requesting support and the ALEPH Foundation's letter to Dr Sterling are also enclosed. We recommend a grant of $5,000 as a special project (non-CTR) and would appreciate your letting us know your views by March 10. [ie secret funding.]

    I have just received, and also enclose a copy of Dr Sterling's latest published article "The Incidence of Lung Cancer in the US Since 1955 in Relation to the Etiology of the Disease."

1972 Feb 24: The AELPH Foundation is run by Ervin Y Rodin and Gerald L Esterson (Exec Director). They say they are a non-profit fostering international cooperation and dialog among professionals and scientific groups. They were willing to act as an 'intermediary' for Theodor Sterling running a tobacco funded conference in Israel.

    Sterling, at this time, was at Washington University

    They would make grants to the speakers "on the basis and up to the amount
    of a lump sum grant, which is to be made to our foundation.'

1927 Feb 29: Theodor Sterling writes from Washington University to Bill Shinn at Shook Hardy & Bacon on a "Dear Bill" basis. He wants $5,000 in support funding for the first Israel conference.[Clearly they have already discussed the possibilities of mounting the second conference also.]

Besides establishing an important source of references for the effects of pollution on human health, the members of this panel will also help considerably in the work of our project to arrange an international meeting on the complex causes of lung cancer.

    Altogether, I think the grant through the ALEPH Foundation will enable us to manage the arrangement of support in a proper and desirable manner.

1972 Aug 31: The audit of the Secret Special Project #4 account show that the $5,000 was paid to ALEPH. Also $11,385 to Theodor Sterling for his considerable contributions to the financial health of the tobacco industry.

1972 June 12 - 17: Pamphlet for the conference "Pollution Engineering and Scientific Solutions" held at a hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel. The pamphlet shows that Ervin Rodin was also a Professor of Applied Mathematics at Washington University. His associate (as Exec Director) in the ALEPH Foundation, GL Esterson was a Proessor in Chemical Engineering and served as "Chairman of the US Program Committee."

    They had the EPA, NOAA and Washington University listed as US Co-sponsors with the School of Engineering, Tel Aviv University.

    Sterling is listed as "Convenor" of the section on "Effects of Pollutants on Human Health"

CONTRIBUTORS:samf SHHS TRMU