Editing C. W. Post

{{short description|American businessman (1854–1914)}}
{{redirect|CW Post|the former C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University|LIU Post|the breakfast cereal|C.W. Post (cereal)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = C. W. Post
| image              = C.W. Post LCCN2014696048 (cropped).jpg
| birth_name         = Charles William Post
| caption            = Post in the early 20th century
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1854|10|26}}
| birth_place        = [[Springfield, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1914|5|9|1854|10|26}}
| death_place        = [[Santa Barbara, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = Oak Hill Cemetery, [[Battle Creek, Michigan]]
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| occupation         = Innovator, entrepreneur
| organization       = 
| spouse             = {{Plainlist|
* {{Marriage|Ella Letitia Merriweather|November 1874|1904|end=div.}}
* {{Marriage|Leila Young|November 1904}}
}}
| children           = [[Marjorie Merriweather Post]]
| mother             = [[Caroline Lathrop Post]]
| relatives          = [[Eleanor Post Hutton]] (granddaughter)<br />[[Dina Merrill]] (granddaughter)
| signature          = Signature of Charles William Post.png
| signature_size     = 
}}
'''Charles William Post''' (October 26, 1854&nbsp;– May 9, 1914) was an American innovator, breakfast cereal and foods manufacturer and a pioneer in the prepared-food industry. He was the founder of what is now [[Post Consumer Brands]].

==Early life and education==
[[File:PORTRAIT OF ELLA LETITIA MERRIWEATHER POST (cropped).png|thumb|In November 1874, Post married Ella Letitia Merriweather.]]
Post, commonly known as "C. W.", was born October 26, 1854, in [[Springfield, Illinois]], the son of Charles Rollin Post and [[Caroline Lathrop Post]], and grew up in the adopted hometown of [[Abraham Lincoln]], who served as [[President of the United States]] during Post's childhood.<ref name=NAM>"Obituary: C.W. Post," ''American Industries,'' vol. 14, no. 11 (June 1914), pg. 43.</ref>

Post graduated from public schools in Springfield, and then enrolled at [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign|Illinois Industrial University]], where he remained for two years before leaving without a degree.<ref name=TSHA>William M. Pearce, [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpo26 "Charles William Post,"] The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Society, www.tshaonline.org/</ref>

After a brief stay in [[Independence, Kansas]], Post returned to Springfield, where he remained for over a decade working as a salesman and manufacturer of agricultural machinery. During this interval Post invented and patented several farm implements, including a [[Plough|plow]], a [[harrow (tool)|harrow]], and a [[hay]]-stacking machine.<ref name=TSHA />

In November 1874, Post married Ella Letitia Merriweather; they had one daughter, [[Marjorie Merriweather Post|Marjorie]]. Ella supported her husband throughout his career and cared for him when he was ill. As Post became wealthier and began spending more time away from Ella, who was often ill, his relationship with her waned. Against her wishes, Post separated from her in 1904 and married his second wife, Leila Young, his 27-year-old secretary, in November 1904.<ref name="TSHA" /> Marjorie, who remained close to her father, later said that her mother died of "a broken heart" after Post divorced her and married his secretary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.paulbowles.org/marjoriemerriweatherpost.html|title=Marjorie Merriweather Post: a biography by Kenneth Lisenbee|website=www.paulbowles.org|access-date=October 14, 2018|archive-date=January 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125003116/http://www.paulbowles.org/marjoriemerriweatherpost.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a deceitful attempt to have his daughter become closer with his secretary (soon to be wife), C. W. hired her to be a travel companion for Marjorie. When Marjorie realized the ruse, she deeply resented Leila.

==Career==
[[File:cw post marj.jpg|thumb|Post holding his only child, daughter [[Marjorie Merriweather Post]]]]
Post suffered a [[mental breakdown]] in November 1885, the result of the [[stress (psychological)|stress]] and overwork which accompanied his job as a farm implement manufacturer. Post made a break with his previous life, moving to [[Texas]] in 1886, where he came into association with a group of [[Real estate development|real estate developers]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], who were attempting to establish a new community on the eastern outskirts of a town called Riverside. In 1888, Post began a real estate development of his own in Fort Worth on {{Convert|200|acre|ha}} that he had obtained, [[plat]]ting the land for streets and homes and constructing two mills.<ref name=TSHA />

The stress of this work again proved too much for Post's constitution, and a second breakdown followed in 1891.<ref name=TSHA/> Post began a period of extensive travels in search of a cure, coming to take particular interest in the chemistry of [[Human gastrointestinal tract|digestion]].<ref name=NAM /> After a period traversing Europe, Post visited the [[Battle Creek Sanitarium]] of [[Battle Creek, Michigan]], a facility operated by [[John Harvey Kellogg]] (brother of [[Kellogg's|Kellogg Company]] founder [[Will Keith Kellogg]]). Post has been accused of stealing several of Kellogg's recipes, including Kellogg's Caramel Coffee Cereal (Post's [[Postum]]), [[Corn flakes|Cornflakes]] ([[Post Toasties]]), and Malted Nuts ([[Grape-Nuts]]).<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Oxford encyclopedia of food and drink in America|date=2013|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|editor-last=Smith|editor-first=Andrew F.|isbn=9780199734962|edition=2nd|location=New York, NY|pages=536|oclc=781555950}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Kelloggs: the battling brothers of Battle Creek|last=Markel|first=Howard|publisher=[[Pantheon Books]]|date=2017|isbn=9780307907271|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=139|oclc=964294340}}</ref>

In 1895, Post founded [[Post Foods|Postum Cereal Co.]], with his first product, Postum cereal beverage.  Post's first breakfast cereal premiered in 1897, and he named the product Grape-Nuts cereal because of the fruity aroma noticed during the manufacturing process and the nutty crunch of the finished product. In 1904, he followed up the Grape-Nuts label with a brand of [[corn flakes]], which was first called Elijah's Manna before being renamed [[Post Toasties]] in 1908.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nilsen|first=Alleen Pace|date=1994|title=Why Big Businesses Break Spelling Rules|jstor=820410|journal=The English Journal|volume=83|issue=5|pages=51|doi=10.2307/820410}}</ref> The British government refused to allow Post to market his cereal in the United Kingdom using the name Elijah's Manna, stating that it was sacrilegious.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nilsen|first=Alleen Pace|date=1994|title=Why Big Businesses Break Spelling Rules|jstor=820410|journal=The English Journal|volume=83|issue=5|pages=48–53|doi=10.2307/820410}}</ref>

In 1906, Post invested some of his substantial earnings from his food products manufacturing into Texas real estate, purchasing a massive {{Convert|225,000|acre|ha|adj=on}} tract in [[Garza County, Texas|Garza]] and [[Lynn County, Texas|Lynn]] Counties. Post platted a new town, which he called [[Post, Texas|Post City]]. Shade trees were planted, farm parcels laid out, and a hotel, a school, churches, and a department store were constructed for the new Garza County seat.<ref name=TSHA />

In 1907, ''[[Collier's]] Weekly'' published an article questioning the claim made in advertisements that Grape-Nuts could cure [[appendicitis]]. Post responded with advertisements questioning the mental capacity of the article's author, and ''Collier's Weekly'' sued for libel. The case was heard in 1910, and Post was fined $50,000. The decision was overturned on appeal, but advertisements for Postum products stopped making such claims.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pendergrast |first=Mark| year=2010 |title= Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World |location=New York, NY |publisher=Basic Books |pages= 101–102|isbn=978-0-465-01836-9}}</ref>

Post was a staunch opponent of the trade union movement and was remembered by the [[National Association of Manufacturers]] as one who "opposed bitterly [[boycott]]s, strikes, [[lockout (industry)|lockouts]], picketing and other forms of coercion in the relations between employer and employee". Post was also a leading public advocate of the open shop system.<ref name=NAM />  However, as compensation, Post paid the highest wages, and provided bonuses and benefits. Near Battle Creek, he had model homes built that were sold to employees under certain conditions.<ref name="benefits">{{cite web |title=Post, William Charles |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/post-william-charles |website=www.encyclopedia.com |access-date=11 March 2022}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Grave of Charles William Post (1854–1914) at Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek 1.jpg|thumb|Post's mausoleum at Oak Hill Cemetery]]
[[File:Garza courthouse.jpg|thumb|A [[statue]] of C. W. Post in front of the Garza County Courthouse]]
At the end of 1913, Post's health deteriorated to the point that he canceled public appearances.<ref>{{Cite book|title=American empress : the life and times of Marjorie Merriweather Post|last=Stuart, Nancy Rubin.|isbn=9780595752027|location=Lincoln, Neb.|pages=89–90|oclc=988334937|date = January 4, 2004}}</ref> 

In early March 1914, he was believed to be suffering from [[appendicitis]] and was rushed via a nonstop train from [[California]] to the [[Mayo Clinic]] in [[Rochester, Minnesota]]. He was operated on by [[William James Mayo|William Mayo]] and [[Charles Horace Mayo|Charles Mayo]], who were regarded as the nation's preeminent surgeons at the time. The Mayo brothers operated successfully on Post sometime between March 5 and March 10, 1914, but Post's abdominal pain persisted, according to the book ''American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post''.<ref name=Despondent>{{Cite news|publication-date=May 10, 1914|title=C. W. Post a Suicide in California Home; Battle Creek Cereal Manufacturer, Despondent Over his continued Illness |language=en-US|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/obituary-clipping-may-10-1914-3831393/|access-date=2023-04-09|issn=0362-4331 |date=1914-05-09 |place=Santa Barbara, California |page=12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Charles W. Post|url=http://www.migenweb.org/calhoun/cwpost.htm|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=www.migenweb.org}}</ref> 

Post then returned to his home in [[Santa Barbara, California]] with his stomach pain persisting. On May 9, 1914, despondent over his ongoing stomach illness and its symptoms, Post died by [[suicide]] with a [[Suicide methods#Shooting|self-inflicted gunshot]]. He was 59 years old.<ref name=Despondent/> He was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek.

==Legacy==
Post's 27-year-old daughter, [[Marjorie Merriweather Post]], inherited his company along with most of his vast fortune, one of the largest of the early 20th century.<ref name=Despondent/><ref>Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko (January 6, 2014). [https://books.google.com/books?id=enWfAgAAQBAJ&dq=May+9%2C+1914%2C+C.W.+POst%2C+gunshot&pg=PA1080 ''History of Seventh-day Adventist Work with Soyfoods, Vegetarianism, Meat Alternatives, Wheat Gluten, Dietary Fiber and Peanut Butter (1863-2013): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook'']. p. 1080. Soyinfo Center,, Archived at [[Google Books]]. Retrieved September 1, 2019.</ref>

Marjorie Merriweather Post later married financier [[Edward Francis Hutton|E. F. Hutton]] and owned a {{convert|177|acre|ha|adj=on}} estate on Long Island's North Shore called "Hillwood". Marjorie sold the estate in 1951 for $200,000 to [[Long Island University]], which founded its residential C.W. Post College in 1954, marking the 100th anniversary of C. W. Post's birth. For a while it was named the C.W. Post Center and then the C.W. Post Campus. What was C.W. Post College has now become mainly a commuter campus called LIU/Post, and it has about 8,500 full- and part-time students and over 100,000 [[Alumnus|alumni]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/liu-cw-2754/student-life|title=LIU Post ''U.S. News & World Report''|access-date=September 1, 2019}}</ref>

The [[World War II]] [[Liberty Ship]], {{SS|C. W. Post}}, was named in his honor.

==See also==
*[[Close City, Texas]]
*[[Post Foods]]
*[[Garza County Historical Museum]]
*[[General Foods]]
*[[South Plains Council#Camps|C. W. Post Memorial Camp]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Charles Dudley Eaves and Cecil Allen Hutchinson, ''Post City, Texas: C.W. Post's Colonizing Activities in West Texas.'' Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1952.
* Nettie Letich Major, ''C.W. Post: The Hour and the Man: A Biography with Genealogical Supplement.'' Washington: Judd and Detweiler, 1963.
* Jan Reid, "C.W. Post," ''Texas Monthly,'' March 1987.
* {{citation |first1= Mary |last1= Butler |first2= Frances |last2= Thornton |first3= Martin |last3= Ashley |year= 1995 |title= Walking the road to Wellville: C.W. Post and the Postum Cereal Company |location= Battle Creek, Mich. |publisher= Heritage Publications |oclc= 34222587 }}
*{{cite book |last= Rubin Stuart |first= Nancy |author-link= Nancy Rubin Stuart |year= 1995 |title= American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post |location= New York |publisher= Villard |isbn= 0-679-41347-2 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/americanempressl00rubi }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.postcereals.com/post%5Fheritage/ History of C.W. Post (company site)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105215228/http://postcereals.com/post_heritage/ |date=January 5, 2012 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110225214115/http://www.ccaheritagehouse.com/history.html Another biography of C.W. (Charles William) Post]
*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ttusw/00004/tsw-00004.html Records of Post land colonization company in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University] See also other Double U Ranch records.
*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ttusw/00078/tsw-00078.html Blueprints of structures at Post, Texas, 1908–1915, in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University]
*[http://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhlead/umich-bhl-85519?byte=56106741;focusrgn=summaryinfo;subview=standard;view=reslist Finding Aid for the Post Family Papers, 1882-1973, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan]
* {{cite web | title = POST: The Town | work = CCA: Post History | url = http://www.ccaheritagehouse.com/history.html| url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110225214115/http://www.ccaheritagehouse.com/history.html | archive-date = February 25, 2011 }}>
* [http://www.paulbowles.org/marjoriemerriweatherpost.html Biography of daughter Marjorie Merriweather Post  Kenneth Lisenbee containing biographical information about C.W. Post.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125003116/http://www.paulbowles.org/marjoriemerriweatherpost.html |date=January 25, 2012 }}

{{Post Holdings}}
{{General Foods}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Post, C. W.}}
[[Category:1854 births]]
[[Category:1914 deaths]]
[[Category:American food company founders]]
[[Category:American nutritionists]]
[[Category:People from Battle Creek, Michigan]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in California]]
[[Category:People from Springfield, Illinois]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Illinois]]
[[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:1914 suicides]]
[[Category:Post Holdings]]
[[Category:General Foods]]
[[Category:Illinois Industrial University alumni]]