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

POSTED ON THE MEAD INTRANET


Subject: Frequently Asked Questions

January 9, 2002

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 do Mead and Westvaco's consumer packaging operations have in common?

Consumer packaging is yet another area where Mead and Westvaco have
complementary strengths. Using paperboard and plastic materials, Westvaco
produces packaging for entertainment, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, personal
care, tobacco, food and many other products at 45 plants in the United
States, Brazil and Europe. Mead operates 12 plants in the United States,
Mexico, Europe and Japan that convert Coated Natural Kraft(TM) into
packaging for brewery, soft drink and food/consumer product applications.
Mead also licenses use of its packaging designs in North America, Europe,
Asia Pacific and Latin America and designs and manufactures proprietary
converting equipment to make packaging for these applications. Both
companies have outstanding packaging design capabilities for their
individual areas of expertise, setting up the potential for the sharing of
ideas.



Do Westvaco and Mead have similar packaging operations in Brazil?

The two companies serve different segments of the growing packaging
opportunities in Brazil. In addition to forests, Westvaco's subsidiary,
Rigesa, Ltda., has two unbleached paperboard mills, four corrugated
packaging plants and two consumer packaging plants that serve markets for
fruit, textiles, personal hygiene products, confections, food and other
products. Mead's subsidiary, Mead Embalagens, Ltda, is based in Sao Paulo
where it produces cartons for the beverage industry. This location also
provides sales and technical support for Mead's proprietary packaging
converting systems business for beverage packaging applications.



I understand that for every Mead share I own there will be a $1.20 per
share (merger consideration) and that I will receive the same amount of
shares for the new company. Will this happen at the time of the merger?
Does this also apply to options? If not what happens in the case of owning
options which are still good?

Mead shareowners receive one share of the new company and $1.20 per share
(merger consideration) when they surrender their shares after the merger
has been approved by shareholders. See the proxy statement for complete
information.

Mead options to purchase shares will be converted into MeadWestvaco options
to purchase shares and the $1.20 will be factored into the conversion. See
the proxy statement for more complete information or contact Shareholders
Records at 937-495-3710


                           Additional Information

The Mead Corporation ("Mead") and Westvaco Corporation ("Westvaco") have
filed with the SEC and mailed to investors a definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus concerning the proposed merger of Mead and Westvaco.
Investors are urged to read the joint proxy statement/prospectus and any
other relevant documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed
merger, as well as any amendments and supplements to those documents before
making any voting or investment decision, because they contain important
information on the proposed merger. Investors can obtain the documents
filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC's website (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).

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's 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.

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