Join historian Vanessa Heggie and comedian Ed Byrne as they unravel the fascinating saga of the Kellogg brothers, John and Will. From their challenging childhood to inventing cornflakes, their story is a mix of sibling rivalry and health fads. Discover the bizarre medical treatments at the sanatorium and how their Seventh-day Adventist beliefs influenced their dietary ideologies. Delve into their contrasting legacies—one focused on philanthropy and the other on eugenics—while enjoying a mix of humor and insightful anecdotes throughout their tumultuous journey in the cereal industry.
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insights INSIGHT
Sibling Rivalry Shaped Their Partnership
John Harvey and Will Kellogg came from a large, troubled Michigan family and grew up with deep sibling conflict.
John bullied Will and used storytelling to get him into trouble, shaping their lifelong feud.
insights INSIGHT
Religion Directed Their Health Mission
The Kellogg family embraced Seventh-day Adventism which promoted strict dietary and lifestyle rules.
Ellen White's teachings prioritized vegetarianism, exercise and avoidance of stimulants as moral and health principles.
question_answer ANECDOTE
From Printing Press To Sanatorium Founder
John Harvey reorganized a struggling health institute into the successful Battle Creek Sanatorium.
He focused the sanatorium on diet, hydrotherapy and other regimented treatments to treat modern ailments.
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Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century America by historian Dr Vanessa Heggie and comedian Ed Byrne to learn all about the feuding Kellogg Brothers. John and Will Kellogg were born into a large family in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the middle of the 1800s. Following a childhood marred by illness and death, John earned a medical degree before returning to run the Sanitorium – a health and wellness centre – in his hometown, where he prescribed a variety of treatments both sensible and surreal, including a vegetarian diet, fresh air and exercise, hydrotherapy, and regular enemas! He was soon joined in his wellness venture by his business-minded brother Will, and together they invented a breakfast cereal we still know and love today: cornflakes. But after years of John’s bullying Will left to launch his own business: the Kellogg company. This episode tells the story of these battling brothers and their food and wellness business ventures, exploring everything from their sibling relationship and the competing stories they tell about the invention of their most famous cereal, to John’s Seventh Day Adventist beliefs and his pioneering wife with her meat-free meal replacements.
If you’re a fan of family feuds, wellness fads of the past and the history of food, you’ll love our episode on the Kellogg Brothers.
If you want more history of science and health with Dr Vaness Heggie, check out our episodes on Victorian Bodybuilding and Arctic Exploration. And for more American entrepreneurs, listen to our episodes on PT Barnum and Madam CJ Walker.
You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.
Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Charlotte Emily Edgeshaw
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars
You're Dead to Me 
