Kellogg, John Harvey, 1852-1943
Person
Dates
- Existence: February 26, 1852 to December 14, 1943
John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943) was one of sixteen children born to Seventh-day Adventist parents in the farming community of Tyrone, Michigan. After completing high school in a single year, the prodigious student entered Bellevue Hospital and Medical College in 1872. He soon decided to pursue the field of medical education instead of medical practice, believing that medical education would more fully prepare him for a life of missionary work for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Following his graduation from medical school in 1875, Kellogg returned to Battle Creek to assume control of the financially troubled Health Reform Sanitarium, for one year. He remained there until his death in 1943.
The operators of the Sanitarium believed that a diet of meat substitutes derived from various grains and nuts offered their patients a better cure than did drugs. Dr. Kellogg developed these substitutes and found a myriad of other uses for grains and nuts. Peanut butter, granola, and a process for flaking grains are inventions for which we remember him most.
Kellogg's association with Seventh-day Adventists comprises the bulk of the material in his private papers. Kellogg was himself a Seventh-day Adventist, and was instrumental in the establishment of what is now a world-wide system of Adventist health care. In 1903, he published a book entitled The Living Temple, which the Adventist church found to be at odds with its doctrines. A split soon developed, pitting Kellogg and his supporters against the Adventist leadership and laity. Kellogg succeeded in wresting control of the famous Battle Creek Sanitarium from the Church and placing it under a board controlled by himself.
Kellogg was one of the most forceful and effective leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was a good friend of James and Ellen White, though he later grew cool to her when his theology was called into question.
The operators of the Sanitarium believed that a diet of meat substitutes derived from various grains and nuts offered their patients a better cure than did drugs. Dr. Kellogg developed these substitutes and found a myriad of other uses for grains and nuts. Peanut butter, granola, and a process for flaking grains are inventions for which we remember him most.
Kellogg's association with Seventh-day Adventists comprises the bulk of the material in his private papers. Kellogg was himself a Seventh-day Adventist, and was instrumental in the establishment of what is now a world-wide system of Adventist health care. In 1903, he published a book entitled The Living Temple, which the Adventist church found to be at odds with its doctrines. A split soon developed, pitting Kellogg and his supporters against the Adventist leadership and laity. Kellogg succeeded in wresting control of the famous Battle Creek Sanitarium from the Church and placing it under a board controlled by himself.
Kellogg was one of the most forceful and effective leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was a good friend of James and Ellen White, though he later grew cool to her when his theology was called into question.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Battle Creek Sanitarium Collection
Collection
Identifier: Collection 234
Content Description
The present collection contains: a) legal documents related to Battle Creek and its
properties; b) minutes of the Board of Trustees and some major actions taken;
c) financial documentation related to the Sanitarium and Dr. Kellogg;
d) correspondence primarily related to the court events; e) court documents;
f) materials describing the work done in the different departments of the Sanitarium; and g)
miscellaneous materials related to the Sanitarium and its history.
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1872 - 1945
John Harvey Kellogg Papers
Collection
Identifier: Collection 6
Content Description
This collection consists of Dr. Kellogg's correspondence with Seventh-day Adventists.
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1895 - 1936
John Harvey Kellogg Papers
Accession
Identifier: Collection 6
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1895 - 1936