In 1989 Ms. Violet Jones, an elderly ACS member who also had joined the Cryonics Institute, became quite ill and her suspension appeared imminent. Jack Zinn was then President of ACS. He initiated a $5,000 "acceptance fee" chargeable for anyone placed into suspension through ACS. This fee was controversial, especially as it was applied to Ms. Jones since she was then too ill to object or to make alternate suspension arrangements. After Violet’s death, the fee was upheld by the ACS Board and the controversy over the charge and whether or not it was appropriate to have applied it to Violet’s case because one of the prime points of contention in the ACS Board election of 1990. In that election, Jack Zinn, and other board members who had supported this fee, lost their positions. One of the first acts of the newly elected board was to rescind the fee.

Violet Jones continues in cryonic suspension and is now one of the ACS patients at the Cryonics Institute’s facility. I have long since personally accepted Jack’s apology for any responsibility he bears in this matter. It is gratifying that he now chooses to broaden that expression of regret to the entire ACS membership. Thank you, Jack.

H. Jackson Zinn

It is with the deepest regret that I apologize to the Society for failure as its President to exempt the Violet Jones Trust from the newly estab1ished $5000 fee, charged to all trusts at that time. This was a complete error in judgment on my part for which I alone am responsible. The timing of the fee imposition was not fair when applied to that specific case.