LLUMC Legacy: Daring to Care
Acknowledgments
To name everyone who has helped make this book possible would probably tire the reader. Some took time to read the entire manuscript: physicians, theologians, church historians, administrators, chaplains, English teachers, book editors, and friends. Others made small but significant contributions or suggestions. Special thanks are due to the reference librarians and personnel of the Heritage Room at the Del E. Webb Memorial Library, Loma Linda University. To everyone who helped: Thank you.
Preface
Have you ever enjoyed something so much that you wanted to share it with others? It may have been an interesting personal experience. It may have been a new musical recording or an unusual story. It may have been sad, humorous, frustrating, or inspirational. But, whatever it was, it was meaningful, and you wanted to share it with others. That is how I feel about LEGACY.
I have heard parts of the story throughout the years. In preparation for my responsibilities at Loma Linda University, I read The Story of Our Health Message, by D. E. Robinson and John Harvey Kellogg, M.D., by Dr. Richard Schwarz. Later, I read parts of The Original Has This Signature--W. K. Kellogg, by Horace B. Powell. I told the story every two weeks at new employee orientations, updating and revising for ten years.
Eventually, I was invited to present the material to professional and church groups throughout the United States and Canada, sometimes traveling months at a time. So many requests for the material in written form followed that I decided to compile a book. This decision led to intense study. I found parts of the legacy in many different sources: unpublished manuscripts, old newspapers, speeches, biographies, encyclopedias, research abstracts, professional journals, personal correspondence, and interviews. In trying to find original documentation for important parts of the story, I found not only what I was looking for also but also additional facts, which inspired an even greater appreciation for the legacy.
The story contains all the elements of human interest: humor, tragedy, compassion, the supernatural, inspiration, hope, and love of the highest order. It is an ongoing story that would be unbelievable if it were not so well documented.
Although the basic philosophy that has influenced the legacy over the years was adopted well over a century ago, it is timeless. This philosophy has led to a unique life-style that has increased the longevity of those who practice it. This longevity has intrigued insurance companies. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others have funded studies totaling more than $40 million to determine why Adventists who practice this life-style live longer.
The legacy has affected the lives of millions and has the potential to affect the lives of millions more. Certainly it is worth sharing.
Readers' comments are welcome and may be sent to Legacy, P.O. Box 1500, Loma Linda, California 92354-1500.
January 2005
Loma Linda, California