Filed by The Mead Corporation
                         pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
                                and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under
                                           the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                        Subject Company:  The Mead Corporation
                                                    Commission File No. 1-2267









Subject: Frequently Asked Questions

November 16, 2001

A telephone number - 1-888-918-6323, and an e-mail address - Vision ID
CORPCOMM (or corpcomm@mead.com) have been established to respond to your
questions and comments. Some of the most commonly received questions and
their answers are listed below. We will continue to post any new questions
and answers that are pertinent to many employees.


What will happen to my stock options when Mead and Westvaco merge?

Because only a minimum number of individuals are affected by stock options,
this information will be provided to them on an individual basis as soon as
it is available.

In the draft S4 document, it indicates that Westvaco is the purchaser of
Mead. How does this reflect a "Merger of Equals"?

This merger is a "Merger of Equals." However, accounting rules require that
one of the entities be defined as the acquirer. Based on our understanding
of the accounting rules and the impact on future accounting reports, Mead
and Westvaco mutually agreed that the new company would benefit by making
the decision as described in the draft S4 document.

Is it true that the SAP system that has been implemented to date and is in
the process of being implemented at all the Mead facilities will be
eliminated once the merger is complete?

No. Both Mead and Westvaco are committed to implementing SAP even though
they are presently at different phases of the process. In fact, the
Integration Steering Committee has identified SAP as one of the
"non-negotiables" meaning it will be the system for the combined company
going forward.


                           Additional Information

   The Mead Corporation ("Mead") and Westvaco Corporation ("Westvaco") have
   filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 on behalf of MW
   Holding Corporation containing a preliminary joint proxy
   statement/prospectus and other relevant documents concerning the
   proposed transaction. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY
   STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC
   BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.
   Investors may obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC's web site
   (http://www.sec.gov). In addition, documents filed with the SEC by Mead
   or Westvaco with respect to the proposed transaction may be obtained
   free of charge by contacting The Mead Corporation, Mead World
   Headquarters, Courthouse Plaza Northeast, Dayton, Ohio 45463, Attention:
   Mark Pomerleau, Director of Investor Relations (tel.: (937) 495-3456),
   or Westvaco Corporation, One High Ridge Park, Stamford, Connecticut
   06905, Attention: John W. Hetherington (tel.: (203) 461-7500). INVESTORS
   SHOULD READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING
   ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION. Mead and Westvaco and their
   respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be
   participants in the solicitation of proxies from Mead shareholders and
   Westvaco shareholders, respectively, in connection with the proposed
   merger between Mead and Westvaco. For more information on who may be
   deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies, please see
   Mead and Westvaco's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on
   October 18, 2001.

Certain statements in this document and elsewhere by management of the
company that are neither reported financial results nor other historical
information are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such information
includes, without limitation, the business outlook, assessment of market
conditions, anticipated financial and operating results, strategies, future
plans, contingencies and contemplated transactions of the company. Such
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which
may cause or contribute to actual results of company operations, or the
performance or achievements of each company, or industry results, to differ
materially from those expressed, or implied by the forward-looking
statements. In addition to any such risks, uncertainties and other factors
discussed elsewhere herein, risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could cause or contribute to actual results differing materially from those
expressed or implied for the forward- looking statements include, but are
not limited to, events or circumstances which affect the ability of Mead
and Westvaco to integrate successfully and achieve the anticipated benefits
of the transaction; competitive pricing for each company's products;
changes in raw materials; energy and other costs; fluctuations in demand
and changes in production capacities; changes to economic growth in the
U.S. and international economies, especially in Asia and Brazil; government
policies and regulations, including, but not limited to those affecting the
environment and the tobacco industry; and currency movements. Mead and
Westvaco undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. Investors are advised, however, to consult any further
disclosures made on related subjects in each Company's reports filed with
the SEC.