Finding Aid for the Meals for Millions Foundation Records
LSC.1107
Processed by Saundra Taylor, May 1971; machine-readable finding aid created by
Caroline Cubé and edited by Josh Fiala.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2020 December 2.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Meals for Millions Foundation records
Creator:
Meals for Millions Foundation
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1107
Physical Description:
24 Linear Feet
(48 boxes, 1 oversize box)
Date (inclusive): 1946-1967
Abstract: The Meals for Millions Foundation of
Los Angeles was a non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of hunger in the
world through "three-cent meals." The plan was formulated by Clifford Clinton (of Clinton
Cafeterias of Los Angeles), who, with the assistance of Dr. Henry Borsook of the California
Institute of Technology, organized the Foundation in 1946. After the Foundation began to
change course in 1965, executive secretary Florence Rose resigned, and became associated
with Investors Overseas Services until her death in 1969. In 1979, the Foundation merged
with the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation. The collection consists of correspondence,
financial records, publications, notebooks, newspapers, photographs, two phonograph records,
and a film from the office and personal files of Meals for Millions executive secretary,
Florence Rose.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access
special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on
this page.
Language of Material:
English .
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in
advance using the request button located on this page.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: This collection contains processed audiovisual materials.
All requests to access digital materials must be made in advance using the request button
located on this page.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All
other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not
hold the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Meals for Millions Foundation Records (Collection 1107). UCLA
Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California,
Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Ernest Chamberlain, 1971.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make
them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and
resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level
of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts
more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to
national and local standards and best practices.
Processed by Saundra Taylor, May 1971; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline
Cubé and edited by Josh Fiala.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
The Meals for Millions Foundation of Los Angeles was a non-profit organization dedicated to
the eradication of hunger in the world through "three-cent meals"; the plan was formulated
by Clifford Clinton (of Clinton Cafeterias of Los Angeles), who, with the assistance of Dr.
Henry Borsook of the California Institute of Technology, organized the Foundation in 1946;
its basic product was Multi-Purpose Food (MPF), a tasteless additive that could be mixed
with virtually anything to provide one-third of the daily vitamins, minerals, and protein
needed by the average adult; after the Foundation began to change course in 1965, executive
secretary Florence Rose resigned, and became associated with Investors Overseas Services
until her death in 1969; in 1979 the Foundation merged with the American Freedom from Hunger
Foundation.
Biographical Narrative
The Meals for Millions Foundation of Los Angeles was a non-profit organization dedicated to
the eradication of hunger in the world through "three-cent meals." The plan for such a
program was formulated by Clifford Clinton (of Clifton cafeterias in Los Angeles), who, with
the assistance of Dr. Henry Borsook of Caltech organized the foundation in 1946. The basic
product of the foundation, known as Multi-purpose Food, was a tasteless additive that could
be mixed with virtually anything. Developed by Dr. Borsook, MPF was said to provide
one-third of the daily vitamins, minerals, and protein needed by the average adult.
Shortly after setting up the Foundation, Clinton brought in Florence Rose and Ernest
Chamberlain to be co-directors and take over the day-to-day management. This collection or
archive consists primarily of the office and personal files of Miss Rose, most of which she
rescued from destruction when Meals for Millions began to change course in 1965. Florence
Rose left the Foundation at that time and was then associated with Investors Overseas
Services until her death in 1969.
The collection came to UCLA indirectly (via Smith College) from Ernest Chamberlain, close
friend and confident of Miss Rose. The files have been alphabetically listed and their
arrangement retained as originally filed. Consequently, a great deal of duplication exists
throughout and the interrelationships of materials are often cloudy at best.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of correspondence, financial records, publications, notebooks,
newspapers, photographs, two phonograph records, and a film from the office and personal
files of Meals for Millions executive secretary, Florence Rose.
Organization and Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
- Alphabetical files of the Meals for Millions (MFM) Foundation (Boxes 1-21).
- Miscellaneous unsorted correspondence and ephemera (Boxes 22-26).
- Miscellaneous printed material (Boxes 27-30).
- MFM notebook files of printed material (Boxes 31-37).
- MFM projects in foreign countries (Boxes 38-47).
- Miscellaneous files re soybeans, MFM staff and financial information, newspapers
(Box 48).
- Two records by Peggy Lee produced for MFM, photographs, People to people film
(Oversize box).
Related Material
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Meals for Millions Foundation -- Archives
Rose, Florence
Alphabetical Files: Ad - Br
box 1, folder 4-6
Appeal letters and copy.
ca 1949-1965
box 1, folder 7-8
Articles by Ernest Chamberlain and other miscellaneous newspaper and magazine
articles about MFM.
box 1, folder 10
Associated In-Group Doners - United Givers, Los Angeles branch.
box 1, folder 11-12
Azedo, Bea - office files.
box 1, folder 13
Baird, David - correspondence.
box 1, folder 14
Blackford, Gil - correspondence.
box 1, folder 17-18
Bookkeeping Department (Jackson) - inter-office.
box 1, folder 19
Borgstrom, Dr. Georg -
A Global Dilemma.
box 1, folder 20
Brand, Mrs. Harry - correspondence.
Alphabetical Files: Bry - Ch
box 2, folder 1
Bryce, John - correspondence
General note
(c.f., F. Rose correspondence files)
box 2, folder 2-3
Burden, Jean - office files.
box 2, folder 4
Burrows, Fred - the I.O.S. Foundation.
box 2, folder 5
Burrows, Fred - office file, correspondence
General note
(c.f., F. Rose correspondence files, boxes 11-12)
box 2, folder 6
Catholic Relief Services.
box 2, folder 7-9
Chamberlain, Ernest R. - office files.
box 2, folder 10
Chamberlain, Ernest R. - correspondence.
box 2, folder 11-15
Chamberlain, Ernest R. - correspondence with F. Rose.
ca 1960's
Alphabetical Files: Ch - Cl
box 3, folder 3
Chamberlain, Ernest R. -
re
personnel.
box 3, folder 5
Clinton, Clifford E.
General note
(c.f., box 11, folder 7 and box 20, "Statements")
Alphabetical Files: Co - Do
box 4, folder 1-2
Miscellaneous letters with various religious denominations.
box 4, folder 3
Miscellaneous letters with various state government agencies.
box 4, folder 4-5
Miscellaneous on MFM, including E. Chamberlain, C. Clinton, F. Rose,
etc..
box 4, folder 6
Deressa, Lij Yilma - correspondence.
box 4, folder 8
Documents supporting MFM application for registration with the Advisory
Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid.
box 4, folder 9-11
Dooley, Thomas - correspondence with F. Rose, the Thomas A. Dooley
Foundation, etc..
Alphabetical Files: Du - Fi
box 5, folder 1
Dumont, Mrs. Nat - correspondence.
box 5, folder 2-3
Ebright, Donald F. - office files.
box 5, folder 5
Evangelicals - National Association of Boston.
box 5, folder 6
Evangelicals - National Association of New York.
box 5, folder 7
Evangelicals - National Association of Women's Fellowship.
box 5, folder 8
Excutive Committee meetings.
box 5, folder 9
Excutive Steering Committee - a list.
box 5, folder 10
Experience Reports - original material used in MFM Progress
Reports.
box 5, folder 12-13
Financial - office files.
Alphabetical Files: Fi - Fu
box 6, folder 1
Financial - especially statements by F. Rose and Ernest
Chamberlain.
box 6, folder 2
Financial reports - correspondence regarding MFM sources of
income.
box 6, folder 3
First Church of Christ Scientist.
box 6, folder 4
Five Year Progress Report on MFM Foundation
General note
(c.f., notebook files of printed material for another copy of the actual
publication)
box 6, folder 5
Food Agriculture Organization (F.O.A.) - correspondence and
reports.
box 6, folder 6
F.O.A. - W.H.O. metting in Japan.
box 6, folder 7
Food for Freedom - F. Rose, office file.
box 6, folder 9
Food for Peace, Freedom from Hunger, etc..
box 6, folder 10-11
Form letters - office files.
box 6, folder 13
Fund raising via personal visits.
May 1965
Alphabetical Files: Ga - In
box 7, folder 1
Gable, Mrs. Clark - correspondence.
box 7, folder 2
General Mills agreement, correspondence, etc..
box 7, folder 3
Hadassah - purchasing and supplies.
box 7, folder 4
Handley, N.R. - correspondence.
box 7, folder 8
Highlights of MFM.
1958-59, 1961-62, 1962-63
box 7, folder 9
Hogan, Eulalie - correspondence with F. Rose.
box 7, folder 10-11
Hopkins, Hazel - office files.
box 7, folder 13-16
Inter-office - mail, speeches, miscellaneous.
Alphabetical Files: In - Na
box 8, folder 1
International Cooperation Administration.
box 8, folder 2-4
Investors Overseas Services (I.O.S.)
General note
(c.f., Burrows, Fred file)
box 8, folder 5
Itineraries.
1964
General note
(c.f., F. Rose trips)
box 8, folder 6
Ittleson, Blanche - correspondence.
box 8, folder 7
Judd, Walter U.S. Representative.
box 8, folder 8
Kiwanis Club dates, etc. - E. Chamberlain.
box 8, folder 10
Lee, Peggy — record.
General Physical Description note: (2 copies)
General note
(c.f., oversize packages)
box 8, case 1
Meals for Millions (Peggy Lee) Side 1 yrlsc_1107_008_010_001a
undated
Creator: Ralph Carmichael Orchestra
Creator: Capitol Records, Inc.
Creator: Lee,
Peggy
Physical Description: 1 Sound
Recordings(1 vinyl record; Duration:
0:03:46)7 inches
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: Audiovisual materials are available for access. All
requests to access digital materials must be made in advance using the request
button located on this page.
box 8, case 1
Meals for Millions (Peggy Lee) Side 2 yrlsc_1107_008_010_001b
undated
Creator: Ralph Carmichael Orchestra
Creator: Capitol Records, Inc.
Creator: Lee,
Peggy
Physical Description: 1 Sound
Recordings(1 vinyl record; Duration:
0:03:48)7 inches
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: Audiovisual materials are available for access. All
requests to access digital materials must be made in advance using the request
button located on this page.
Scope and Contents
Transcribed from item: "Track 1: Narration (1:06); Track 2: "Meals for Millions"
vocal into narration with vocal out (2:30); Music arr. and coducted by Ralph
Carmichael"; Content Note: Content note: Produced for Meals for Millions
Foundation
box 8, folder 11
Los Angeles Civic Light Opera list.
box 8, folder 12
McConnell, John - correspondence.
box 8, folder 13
McLeod, S. - correspondence, New Zealand.
box 8, folder 14
Malouf, Mrs. Thomas - correspondence.
box 8, folder 15
Marealle II, Chief - correspondence.
box 8, folder 16
Medical and Nutrition Advisory Board.
box 8, folder 17
Memos, newspaper clippings and maps with addresses of prominent
people.
box 8, folder 19
Missionary Church Association - Reverand Birkey.
box 8, folder 22-28
Multi-purpose food (MPF) - earliest MPF literature, diet therapy, production,
protein sources, recipes, etc..
box 8, folder 29
National Council of Churches.
box 8, folder 30
National Restaurant Association.
Alphabetical Files: Ne - Pu
box 9, folder 6-8
Pending action files.
1968
box 9, folder 9
Permits for fund solicitation.
box 9, folder 10
Point Four Program - correspondence.
box 9, folder 12
Project guide, Junior Chamber of Commerce, International.
box 9, folder 13
Public relations - Charles Sweeney.
Alphabetical Files: Pu - Re
Alphabetical Files: Re - Rose
box 11, folder 3
Restaurant Association program, Santa Barbara; Bob Carden.
box 11, folder 4
Roosevelt, James - correspondence with F. Rose
General note
(c.f., I.O.S. file)
box 11, folder 7
Correspondence with C. Clinton.
box 11, folder 8-12
Correspondence and miscellaneous.
Scope and Contents note
Includes Margaret Sanger clippings.
box 13, folder 6
Discussion and action folder.
box 13, folder 7
England with Margaret Sanger.
1934
box 14-15
Memorabilia.
General Physical Description note: (5 folders)
box 15, folder 4
Policy statements on MFM.
box 16, folder 4-21
Trip reports, expences, etc..
ca. 1949-1965
box 17
Memorabilia, notebooks, etc..
Scope and Contents note
Including scrapbook on India.
box 18
Unsorted miscellaneous material.
Alphabetical Files: Sa - Tec
box 19, folder 2
San Francisco Chronicle replies.
box 19, folder 3-13
California Council for MFM
re officers, Hong
Kong Refugee Week, etc..
box 20, folder 1
Letters of confirmation for meetings and film showings; Silvia
Scott.
box 20, folder 3-4
Sanger, Margaret
General note
(c.f., box 11, folder 11; box 13, folder 7; box 14, folder 6)
box 20, folder 5
Santa Cruz — Alice Longland.
box 20, folder 10-11
S.O.S. or Stamp Out Starvation.
box 20, folder 12
Statements before Congressional Committee - C. Clinton statement.
Alphabetical Files: Tes - Wr
box 21, folder 4
Tropical Products Institute.
box 21, folder 5
United Andean Indian Mission.
box 21, folder 9
United States American Indian.
box 21, folder 10-11
United States government - miscellaneous correspondence, reports,
etc..
box 21, folder 12
United States Office of Indian Affairs.
box 21, folder 13
United States Relief Mission.
box 21, folder 14
United States War Department.
box 21, folder 15
Watamull, Ellen - office file.
box 21, folder 16
World Food Congress, Washington.
1963
box 22-26
Unsorted correspondence, ephemera, etc..
Miscellaneous Printed Material
box 27
Five year progress report on MFM, and
Food for Thot
leaflets.
box 28, folder 1
American recipes, foreign translations and recipes.
box 28, folder 2-5
General information and samples.
box 28, folder 6
MFM inter-affiliates and programs abroad.
box 28, folder 7
Supplementary information, newsletters, reprints, etc..
box 28, folder 8
Technical material, recipes and price list.
box 28, folder 9-10
Other miscellaneous printed material.
box 28, othertype 1
Miscellaneous newsletters and appeals.
1948-1967
box 29, folder 1
Form letters, leaflets, etc..
box 29, folder 2
Leaflets, reprints, and special reports.
box 29-30
MFM printed material.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
box 30, folder 2-4
Miscellaneous publications and clippings.
box 31-36
MFM Notebook Files of Printed Material (no.1-15)
box 31
Notebook no.1.
General Physical Description note: (2 folders)
- Miscellaneous early reports
- Articles and by-laws
- First meeting Biltmore Hotel
- Walter Wanger
- History of development
- C. Clinton's specifications to Borsook
- National Restaurant Association proposal
- Miscellaneous memos and reports of financing
- Income tax exemptions
- Distribution listings
- Gentry Label
- Friendship Train
- Statements to House Committee
box 31
Notebook no.2.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Miscellaneous promotional material
- Reprints of magazine and press articels
- Special leaflets, brochures, stickers, stamps
- "Mealtime Quiz" questions and answers
- Special interest material for various church groups, service clubs, activity
groups, etc.
box 32
Notebook no.3.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Miscellaneous press releases
- Highlights, reprints, papers at Inter-American Food Congress (Miami)
- Data report forms for individual feeding tests
- Use of MPF to improve biological efficiency of corn, wheat and rice
diets
- F. Rose speech 1958
- Soybean Convention
- Promotional and appeal material stressing "3 cent Challeange to World
Hunger"
- Radio, T.V. slide lecture material
- "How Can I Help" leaflet
- Report on ongoing projects for technical assistance
- Plain Talk about Nutrition
- Public resolutions regarding MFM
box 32
Notebook no.4.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Inter-affiliate reports on programs in India, Brazil, Mexico and
Japan
- C.F.T.R.I., publication
Food Science (April 1957)
- Summary of accomplishments of F, Rose's first world trip (October 1955)
establishing affiliates
- Board meeting 1962 with Indian Minister of Agriculture
- Responses by Dr. Borsook, Bishop J. Waskom Pickett, etc.
- Borgstrom's
Protein, Calories and Democracy: A Global
Dilemma
box 33
Notebook no.5.
General Physical Description note: (5 folders)
- Form letters and reports on various special projects
- Information on action of International Cooperation Administration notifying
U.S. Operations Missions Abroad of grants available from MFM to help introduce
values of MPF as a prelude to local production (September 1957)
- Children's projects
- Women's club projects
- Material of special interest to religious agencies, service clubs
- Indian Minister of Agriculture broadcast
- Jobber listings
- Information for speakers
- Price lists
- Letters and reprints
box 33-34
Notebook no.6.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Appeal letters and literature (1947 to 1953)
- Appeals of United Emergency Committee on Famine Relief for India
(1951)
- Miscellaneous reprints
box 34
Notebook no.7.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Form letters
- Miscellaneous trip reports of F. Rose from Washington and South
America
- organization and promotional material, 1959-1963
- Cooperation with Project Handclasp
- U.S. Navy
- People to People Program
- Lion's Club
- Federation of Women's Clubs
box 34
Notebook no.8.
1947-1955
General Physical Description note: (2 folders)
Scope and Contents note
Form letters.
box 35
Notebook no.9.
General Physical Description note: (2 folders)
- Old form letters, 1946-1949
- Recipes, 1947-1952
- First press releases on distribution of 2 million 3 cent meals, May 8,
1947
- 1948 press releases on gift of 3 tons of MPF to Pope Pius XII and Vatican
via Pope's Children's War Relief
- India, MFM reports to Mme Pandit (1949)
box 35
Notebook no.10.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Newsletters and appeals
- American Indian distribution summary
- J.C.C. collaboration
- Memo to U.S. Operations Missions
- Miscellaneous minutes of Board and Excutive Committee
- All permanent workroom copies (not chronologically), 1959-1962
box 35
Notebook no.11.
General Physical Description note: (2 folders)
- Important promotional material and progress reports
- World trip summary of F. Rose, 1955
- Preliminary progress reports on MPF tests by Alaska Department of
Health
- Digest of report of Indian Institute of Science, 1953, on nutritive studies
with MPF
- U.S.A. press releases, 1955
- Staff bulletins
- Foreign miscellaneous material
- Scientific charts
box 36
Notebook no.12.
General Physical Description note: (2 folders)
Scope and Contents note
Miscellaneous press releases and articles on MFM program.
box 36
Notebook no.13.
General Physical Description note: (1 folder)
- Miscellaneous promotional material
- Highlights of the programs
- Newsletters, 1959-1963
box 36
Notebook no.14.
General Physical Description note: (1 folder)
Scope and Contents note
Newsletters.
box 36
Notebook no.15.
General Physical Description note: (3 folders)
- Florence Rose's reference file on San Francisco-Hong Kong compaign,
1963
- San Diego Committee
- Form letters and appeals, 1949-1963
box 37, folder 1-3
Miscellaneous MFM Notebook Files
box 37, folder 1
Notebook on MFM affiliates in Asian countries.
box 37, folder 2
Notebook on MFM affiliates in African countries.
box 37, folder 3
Notebook on F. Rose's field trips to Mexico, Central America, South America
and the West Indies.
1961
MFM Projects in Foreign Countries: A - G
MFM Projects In Foreign Countries: H
MFM Projects In Foreign Countries: I - J
MFM Projects in Foreign Countries: K - Z
box 48, folder 3
Literature & public statements - obsolete.
box 48, folder 4
Prospective advisory committee members.
1946
box 48, folder 9
New York Times.
January 31, 1948
box 48, folder 9
New York Herald Tribune.
February 3, 1948
box 48, folder 10
Administration - finances.
box 48, folder 12
California Institute of Technology - original contract.
May 22, 1948
box 48, folder 13
Soyboean Association Convention.
1957
box 48, folder 14
Carbons (miscellaneous) - no action necessary.
box 48, folder 15
Administration - staff information.
box 48, folder 16
Foreign (miscellaneous) - for possible introduction.
1966-67
box 48, folder 17
Boltz - army quartermaster - Corps test.
1949
box 48, folder 18
American Soybean Association Convention.
1958
box 48, folder 19
International Self-Help Program for Freedom from Hunger [publication], Los
Angeles.
June 1963
box 49
[Miscellaneous].
- Two records by Peggy Lee produced for MFM
- MFM appreciation certificate awarded F. Rose
- "Before-and-After" photographs of six Pago Pago children given diet of
MPF
