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Hills (Christopher)
M2705
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Christopher Hills papers
Creator:
Hills, Christopher B.
source:
Hills, Penny Slinger
Identifier/Call Number: M2705
Physical Description:
3 Linear Feet
(7 manuscript storage boxes and 1 half manuscript storage box)
Date (inclusive): 1936-1997
Abstract: Christopher Hills, known as 'The Father of Spirulina', was an author, business person, alternative educator, and founder of
alternative communities. He wrote over thirty books about yoga, spirituality, microalgae, and other topics.
The contents of this collection document the work of author and business person Christopher Hills. The materials include correspondence,
marketing materials, manuscripts and other writings, pamphlets, flyers, brochures, booklets, newsletters, publications, catalogs,
World Yoga Society membership applications, questionnaires, meeting notes, photographs, newspaper clippings, biographies,
receipts, audio and video cassettes, and other materials.
Topics dealt with include Hills' organization and leadership of the World Conference on Scientific Yoga (1970); Centre House,
London; The University of the Trees (Boulder Creek, CA); aquaculture and microalgae research (including spirulina), microalgae
marketing and distributing and a variety of additional spiritual, educational and philanthropic initiatives.
The materials include correspondence with Hiroshi Nakamura, Surendra Mohan Ghose. Dhirendra Brahmachari, Janardan Swami, Ramesh
Khandelwal, Jal K. Wadia, B.K.S. Iyengar, Swami Rama, Swami Satchidananda, Amrit Desai, Shri Kumar-swami, Swami Dhirendra
Brahmachari, Dr B.I. Atreya, Andrija Puharich, Irma Paule, Carl Schleicher, Aubrey Westlake, Jyoti Swaroop, Rudolph Schaeffer,
and Alexander Poniatoff, among others.
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual & born-digital
materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization
to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction
beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Christopher Hills was born in Grimsby, United Kingdom on April 9, 1926.
During World War II Hills joined a nautical cadet training school and served in the British Merchant Marine. He served on
oil tankers in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, northern Russia, Africa, and the U.S.A. At the end of the war, 1945, he became
a commodities trader in Caracas, Venezuela, Curaçao, and Aruba. Soon afterwards he moved to Kingston, Jamaica and continued
trading in commodities as well as being an arts and antiques dealer, insurance broker and running a credit bureau.
Christopher Hills married Norah Bremner, who was the deputy headmistress of Wolmer's School in Kingston, in 1950. The couple
became influential in Jamaican business, art, politics and culture. Christopher Hills started the Hills Galleries Ltd. He
befriended Norman Manley, head of the People's National Party and Alexander Bustamante, head of the Jamaica Labour Party.
Hills also co-founded the Jamaica Agricultural and Industrial Party as a center party and to represent rural interests.
In 1957 Hills sold most of his business ventures in Jamaica to focus on writing works on philosophy and other topics. In 1961
Hills went on a two year tour to Europe, the Middle East and India. While in India he was a guest of G.D. Birla and met Jawaharlal
Nehru among others. Hills also studied yoga and meditation with Swami Shantanand Saraswati, head of the Jyotir Math. Hills
founded the Commission for Research into Creative Faculties of Man in 1962.
After meeting with Hiroshi Nakamura, Christoper Hills become interested in the nutritional benefits of microalgae. He was
elected President of the Chlorella International Union in 1965 and also partnered with Hiroshi Nakamura to form the Microalgae
International Union to promote and sell microalgae. Christopher Hills and Hiroshi Nakamura are credited as the co-discoverers
of the cyanobacteria Spirulina. Among other projects the two pursued a large microalgae project in India, which ultimately
did not come to fruition.
In 1967 Hills started the Nuclear Evolution Community, Christ-Yoga Centre for Spiritual Awareness, and the Centre House Community
in London.
In 1970, with his son John Hills, he helped organized the World Conference on Scientific Yoga in New Delhi, India. The conference
brought together yogis and scientists. After the Conference he briefly served as President of the World Yoga Society.
In 1972 Christopher and Norah Hills left Centre House and traveled through the United States giving talks and lectures on
consciousness, spirituality and meditation. The couple eventually settled in Boulder Creek, California and founded the University
of the Trees Press in 1976. In 1977 the University of the Trees, a non-profit school emphasizing research in consciousness,
was accredited with the state of California. The University also served as a communal living space. The University of the
Trees was in operation until 1994 when it closed due to lack of finances.
Christopher Hills continued his interest in microalgae and started Aquaculture Nutrition Products Company and Light Force
Spirulina Company, a multi level direct marketing Spirulina distributor. He also formed a number of other microalgae ventures,
including Dr. Hills Manufacturing Co., Dr. Hills Internatioal, Ltd., Microalgae International Purchasing Corp., Dr. Hills
Symbiotic Systems, Inc., Microalgae Aquaculture Research and Development Corp., and Professional Metabolics Company.
Hills' organizations donated spirulina to various conflict and refugee areas, including Afghanistan, Vietnam, Ethiopia and
Sri Lanka. At the time some health and nutrition experts criticized these donations. In 1982 Microalgae International settled
a claim with the California Department of Health Services regarding false advertising of the benefits of spirulina. There
were also claims that Light Force workers were mistreated and underpaid.
After Norah Hills' death in 1995, Christopher Hills married Penny Slinger, an artist, producer and author, in 1996.
In 1996 while in Vietnam investigating a possible business venture he contracted a virus and died on January 31, 1997 in Boulder
Creek, California.
The Christopher Hills Foundation continues to promote the works of Christopher Hills. Throughout his life Christopher Hills
founded a wide range and number of businesses and non-profit organizations. He authored over 30 books on philosophy, spirituality,
conflict resolution, communal living, nutrition and other topics. He also met with a wide variety of individuals including
scientists, politicians, business people, philosophers, authors, artists, yogis, and others.
[identification of item], Christopher Hills papers (M2705). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford
Libraries, Stanford, California.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
New age movement
Spirulina
Algae as food
Direct selling
Multilevel marketing
Authors
Meditations
Communal living
Yoga
Occultism
Spirituality
Hills, Penny Slinger