Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .

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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Hauser Institute of New York City Collection, 1929-1930, undated, Ms2022-064, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 2015.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Hauser Institute of New York City Collection was completed in October 2022.

Biographical Note

Gayelord Hauser was born as Helmut Eugene Benjamin (also Bengamin) Gellert Hauser in Tubingen, Germany, in 1895. He immigrated to the United States to join his brother, Rev. Otto Hauser. As a young man, he developed tuberculosis of the hip and underwent several medical procedures, but Hauser felt that he owed his progress to a doctor who recommended natural remedies.

Hauser traveled to Vienna, Zurich, Dresden, and Copenhagen to learn about food science and, upon his return in 1923, opened an office in Chicago and began teaching about "curative powers of food." He wrote over a dozen books on health and nutrition, and promoted his restorative diets through talks and radio shows. While he gained a following among some celebrities in the early- to mid-20th century, he drew criticism from the medical community, who considered his teachings to be quackery. Hauser died in North Hollywood, California, in 1984.

External Sources:

Peter Kerr, "GAYELORD HAUSER, 89, AUTHOR: PROPONENT OF NATURAL FOODS," New York Times . December 29, 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/29/obituaries/gayelord-hauser-89-author-proponent-of-natural-foods.html. Accessed October 13, 2022.

Scope and Content

This collection contains booklets and broadsides related to the Hauser Institute of New York City, conducted by food scientist Gayelord Hauser. It includes several booklets written by Hauser with pseudoscientific advice related to health and nutrition, broadsides related to Hauser's teachings and presentations, and hand-written food logs, as well as a weight loss booklet published by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and an assortment of newspaper clippings unrelated to Hauser.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by content type.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Folk, historical, and patent medicine
• Health
• History of Food and Drink

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Hauser Institute of New York City Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).