Hauser Institute of New York City Collection
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.
Dates
- 1929-1930, undated
Creator
- Hauser, Gayelord (Person)
- Hauser Institute of New York City (Organization)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
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.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
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.
Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (1 box)
Abstract
This collection contains booklets and broadsides related to the Hauser Institute of New York City, conducted by food scientist Gayelord Hauser (1895-1984). They contain pseudoscientific instructions related to health and nutrition.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by content type.
Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 2015.
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/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Hauser Institute of New York City Collection was completed in October 2022.
- Title
- Hauser Institute of New York City Collection, 1929-1930, undated
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Miranda Christy, Graduate Assistant, and LM Rozema, Archivist
- Date
- 2022 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu