John Works His Way Through U of Michigan

Ruth Meredith's future husband, John Kellogg, worked both during school and at vacation time - often one full-time job and one part-time.  Not all of his plans worked out well, but he was able to save an amazing amount of money.  In the picture John is in college, probably about 20 years old.

The quotes are taken from John's autobiography, written at 74.  "You may recall that in my first college year I sold stuff at the football concession stand.  Mainly food and pop.  I talked to another young man and we agreed to enter a joint bid for the concession as partners the second year.  A local druggist had had that concession for years.  How much should we offer?  We did not have any idea at all and finally put the bid at $700.  To our surprise, we got the bid."

"I had intended to put up my half from my earnings the past summer.  Then the other fellow ran out of money about one month after he started, and said he would rather not earn any money to pay his way as it was not dignified.  He just dropped out of college and took a job selling like his older brother."

"That meant I would have to put up all the money, that the risk was all mine, but that all the profit (if any) would likewise be mine.  To raise the $700, I took my war savings stamps from the safety box and got a loan on them from the bank.  I could easily have cashed them at the post office, but had I done that, I might never get them back from the proceeds of the venture.  They had come so hard, one by one, I did not want to give them up.  Hence, I borrowed on them, paying interest."

How did it work out?  During the football season at Ferry Field, John was disappointed.  It was a lot of work in sweeping, planning and there was limited time for the spectators to buy food.  John had to hire some other students to help him.  He didn't even earn back the $700 advance.  However, baseball was a different story.  There were fewer in the stands, but vendors could sell all of the time.  At the end of the season, he had got back his $700 advance plus another $600.  For a second summer, he headed back to the Belle Isle Casino in Detroit to work.  This story and others about John and Ruth are in Pieces of a Life.

1935 - A Pivotal Year for the Young Kellogg Family

Pictured are Kenny (3) and John on Thanksgiving, 1933 on the Meredith's front porch in the Austin section of Chicago.

1935 was a difficult year for the country and also for the extra stress The Great Depression was putting on young families like the Kelloggs.

I went through Ruth's diaries for the early months of 1935.  The more I read, the more Ruth's anger and depression seeped through the pages.  She didn't understand how desperate the economic situation was, so blamed John for working too much - 6 and 7 days every week, denying her of his company and simple social events with friends.  He was in business for himself - like being way out at the end of a limb.

John had seen his family knocked from well-off to barely hanging on when his father died suddenly in 1913.  He was probably terrified in the early 1930s, knowing how easy it would be to plummet again in this situation, with families all around him doing just that.  He would never have told Ruth that he was afraid, but would have nagged at her not to spend even on things they needed.  She was not a big spender during my life time, even when money was ample.

Friday, January 4, 1935  -  "Mama stayed here with Kenny (afternoon while he was sleeping) & again tonite when I went to Club.  John worked all night.  I'm mad.  Mama is too, as she had to stay until I arrived at midnight from Cecile's."

Saturday, February 5, 1935 - "As John phoned he wouldn't be home in time for show, I asked Mama to go with Kenny and me."

Ruth's life was built around 4-year-old Kenny, but her role models were her parents.  Her father worked long hours at Western Electric, taking a Sunday shift as well when money was tight.  But he never had to worry about the business itself collapsing as John did.