The Kellogg Brothers: Corn Flake Kings

This episode of Biography chronicles the careers of John and William Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Michigan. John Kellogg, physician and avid health champion, rose to fame with his Battle Creek Sanitarium, a health spa of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. Kellogg's health programs included some of the most widely recognized practices today, along with some dubious practices that were, at best, eccentric. In his quest to provide his patrons with healthy diets, his sanitarium experimented with food products. Under the direction of his brother John, the sanitarium invented what would later be known as Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Divisions between the two brothers led John Kellogg to leave the sanitarium and market corn flakes nationwide. Today, Kellogg Corn Flakes and the Kellogg name are world renown. The Kellogg Brothers: Corn Flake Kings would be useful for classes on American History, Cultural History, Economics, Health, and 19th Century Social Movements. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• acolyte
• adamant
• chasm
• consummate
• convalescent
• dubious
• eccentric
• eugenics
• incorrigible
• indignant
• palatable
• paradox
• pious
• proponent
• vanguard

1. Dr. Kellogg was part of a health craze that swept the nation in the late 19th century. How would you compare the health craze of the late 19th century to the health craze of today?

2. Periods of concern about healthy lifestyles wax and wane throughout history. Why are there fluctuations in peoples' concerns about their health? What does this indicate about social and historical movements?

3. Prior to the Civil War, physicians were held in low esteem. Why were physicians held with so little regard? How has the field of medicine advanced since the end of the Civil War and the 19th century? How do people view physicians today?

4. Brothers John Kellogg and William Kellogg were two very different people. How did they differ? How were their views of life and their priorities different?

5. How were the Kellogg brothers reflective of the late 19th century? How did Dr. Kellogg's views of bodily functions mirror the views of the Victorian Era?

6. In what ways was Dr. Kellogg ahead of his time? What do you think Dr. Kellogg's reaction would be to the lifestyles of Americans today?

7. C. W. Post, one of the richest men in America during his lifetime, played a significant role in the estrangement of the Kellogg brothers. What was C. W. Post's role in dividing the brothers?

8. The Great Depression of the 1930s affected Dr. John Kellogg and William Kellogg differently. How did the Great Depression affect each of them? How were their experiences during the Great Depression different? How did the Great Depression affect most Americans?

9. William Kellogg and Dr. John Kellogg fought each other in court for the use of the family name. The court awarded William Kellogg the rights to their family name. Do you think this fair? Which of the Kellogg brothers do you think was entitled to use the Kellogg name and why?

1. Create a travel brochure advertising Dr. Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium. How would you make the sanitarium attractive to travelers? What would you emphasize about the sanitarium?

2. Create an advertisement for Kellogg's Corn Flakes during the early years of its manufacture. How would you compare the advertisements of the early years to the current advertisements?

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Air Dates

• December 01, 2004