Posted on January 3, 2024
“I deeply regret to inform you that Jim Fite, founder and longtime executive director of the White Lung Association (WLA), the first asbestos victims’ group in the US, died at 77 on Jan. 1, 2024 at his home in Baltimore. Jim was a longtime colleague and personal friend of mine. He is survived by his wife Michele Hax and three children.
Jim had worked in auto plants and shipyards, and in the late 1970s was involved in getting shipyard union workers medically examined for asbestos disease. This led to wider demands for worker screening and the filing of claims for compensation by affected workers. After the 1982 bankruptcy filing by the largest US asbestos company, Manville, WLA was a constant presence during the proceedings. WLA was sometimes critical of the asbestos plaintiffs’ lawyers, as when several tried to get the courts to set up a scheme whereby these same lawyers would represent future asbestos victim claimants under diminished terms of compensation in the 1990s.
In the 1960s, Jim was involved in organizing protest demonstrations against the US war in Vietnam. He and two other protesters surprised President Johnson at his appearance at a small town in Oklahoma with protest banners in front of the TV cameras, then being chased and narrowly escaping local toughs with their lives. He was one of US anti-war activists who met with North Vietnamese representatives in Czechoslovakia at the time of the 1968 US presidential election and was impressed at their understanding of things in the US.
Jim had extensive involvement in civil rights work in the 1960s and work with the homeless in more recent decades. He was dedicated and courageous in trying to make the world a better place.” Barry Castleman, ScD
Jim Fite, a pioneering figure in the battle against asbestos-related diseases and a co-founder of the White Lung Association (WLA), has sadly passed away. Established in 1979, the WLA was a worker-led nonprofit based in Baltimore, dedicated to occupational health and safety.
Under Jim’s leadership, the WLA became a powerful voice for workers’ rights and public health. It focused on advocacy for shipyard workers, steelworkers, and autoworkers, pushing for significant reforms in how asbestos exposure was managed by industry, labor unions, and medical providers. Jim’s tireless work with the WLA played a crucial role in assisting government agencies to draft regulations protecting the public from asbestos exposure, with a notable emphasis on safety in public schools.
The White Lung Association’s efforts under Jim’s guidance led to transformative changes in national, state, and local laws concerning asbestos inspection, training, and safe disposal. His unwavering commitment to this cause helped to elevate workplace safety standards and has saved countless lives.
It was a honor to recognize Jim at our 2006 ADAO Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference with the Tribute of Unity Award for his amazing work. His passing is a profound loss; however, his legacy lives on through the lasting impact of his work and the ongoing efforts of the White Lung Association. His dedication to improving occupational health and safety has forever changed the landscape of asbestos prevention and policy in the United States. Jim will be remembered as a beacon of hope and a relentless advocate for a safer, asbestos-free world.” Linda Reinstein