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 4, 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.


Can you tell me about the process for finalizing the merger?

The merger requires the approval of the Mead and Westvaco shareholders. The
companies have prepared a joint proxy statement, which has been mailed to
all shareholders owning shares on December 10, 2001, seeking their approval
of the transaction. While a Special Meeting of Shareholders has been called
for January 28, 2002, shareholders typically vote by proxy rather than
attending the special meeting. The merger will be completed in late January
2002 immediately following the approval of both Mead and Westvaco
shareholders.

What does the proxy statement contain?

The proxy statement contains important information about the merger of Mead
and Westvaco which shareholders are encouraged to review. In addition, the
proxy material contains a proxy card asking for a vote.

What happens if I fail to vote?

A failure to vote is counted as a `no' vote, which is why all shareholders
are urged to complete and return their proxy cards. Shareholders can vote
by returning their proxy cards by mail, or by voting by telephone.
Instructions are provided in the proxy material.

Why is the closing date for the merger now scheduled for the end of January
2002 instead of December 2001 as originally announced?

The merger process requires numerous important regulatory approvals, most
of which were obtained by the end of November 2001. The Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) had to review and approve the companies' proxy
statement before it could be mailed to shareholders. The approval of the
SEC is often a long process, and the timing of this approval can be
difficult to predict. The SEC's approval was finally obtained on December
21. The length of the SEC's review process resulted in the period for
obtaining shareholder approval being extended until late January 2002.

                           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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