Introduction

Background of Elizabeth Sullivan
Scope and Content Note: Born in Illinois in 1910. Parents both born and raised on Illinois farms. Father, who wanted to become a physician, worked way through high school and Northwestern School of Pharmacy, and influenced Sullivan's career outlook towards health service field.

Anecdote about Maternal Grandfather Gerry O'Sullivan
Scope and Content Note: O'Sullivan at age 16 sold cow at fair in County Cork, Ireland, to pay for voyage to New York. Charles Dineen, manager of Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers, claimed Sullivan got enterprise from grandfather.

Mother's Influence on Sullivan
Scope and Content Note: Raised on dairy farm, impressed daughter with importance of milk.

Family Moves to Rockford
Scope and Content Note: Family moved from Rochelle to Rockford during Sullivan's last year in high school. Mother widowed while three children in college.

Education
Scope and Content Note: Received B.S. in home economics at Rockford College.

First Job
Scope and Content Note: Began as dietetic intern at St. Luke's Hospital (now Presbyterian-St. Luke's) in Chicago where sister was head of physical therapy department.

Diverse Location of Early Jobs
Scope and Content Note: In March 1931, at age 21 finished internship at St. Luke's, but remained for next three years as an assistant dietician. Later spent four years in Niagara Falls, N.Y. and four years at Peoples' Hospital (now Akron General) in Akron, Ohio.

Peoples' Hospital in Akron
Scope and Content Note: Responsibilities included food purchasing, administration, diet planning, instructing patients on special diets, and teaching student nurses. From 1939 to 1941 taught adult education courses at University of Akron, which triggered interest in community nutrition.

Work with Columbus Milk Council and at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Scope and Content Note: After two and a half years as executive director of Columbus (Ohio) Milk Council, spent 1943-45 at Goodyear's aircraft division, planning and furnishing meals for 32,000 workers daily, acquiring experience in providing cheap, nutritious meals.

Columbus Milk Council
Scope and Content Note: First dealt exclusively with dairy products while there, and became acquainted with National Dairy Council (NDC) officials.

Learns about Dairy Industry
Scope and Content Note: Learned much about dairy industry and its goals from Dr. Stolz of Ohio State University. Learned to tailor dairy council activities at community level to meet dairy industry goals and needs.

Joins Milwaukee Dairy Council (MDC)
Scope and Content Note: In 1945, selected to start new dairy council program in Milwaukee, and remained there seven and one-half years. MDC became a highly respected nutrition agency.

Moves to National Dairy Council (NDC)
Scope and Content Note: Dissatisfied as NDC work became more administrative and less people-oriented, Sullivan joined NDC in 1952 to help affiliate directors develop new programs. Failed to anticipate amount of travel and soon left NDC.

Consulting Work While Living in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Scope and Content Note: Spent eleven years in Oconomowoc as free-lance consultant, also working six months writing menus and recipes for woman's magazine. Worked for the Wisconsin Gouda Cheese Foundation as consulting dietician at new community hospital, and for the public school lunch program. Also worked for Catherine Clark's Brownberry Ovens. All helped Sullivan identify diverse career opportunities for trained home economists.

MDC Expands
Scope and Content Note: In 1960 expanded to include neighboring Waukesha and Washington counties; in 1961 Ozaukee county also included.

Sullivan Returns to MDC in 1964
Scope and Content Note: Retired in 1971, but continued to do occasional consulting and volunteer work.

Work for State Division of Aging
Scope and Content Note: Helped develop program of nutrition services for elderly, including noon meal for twenty-five cents.

World Wars Influence Establishment of Both NDC and MDC
Scope and Content Note: Dr. Elmer V. McCollum, UW-Madison biochemist doing vitamin D research, encouragement of dairy industry representatives to emphasize nutritional qualities of dairy products, led to founding of NDC in 1915. Milwaukee-area industrial absenteeism and inefficiency, attributed partially to inadequate nutrition, led to establishment of MDC. Industrial plant noon meals an outgrowth of practice initiated during World War II years.

End Tape 1, Side 1

Introduction

Why Milwaukee Dairy Council Established
Scope and Content Note: Industrial absenteeism and work inefficiency caused by poor nutrition; some also felt improper eating habits caused accidents. MDC also formed to help support dairy farmers and firms during World War II.

Financial Support for MDC
Scope and Content Note: Each cooperating dairy deducted and then matched one cent per hundred pounds of milk from farmers' milk checks.

Composition of MDC Board of Directors
Scope and Content Note: Equal number of dairy farmers and dairy firm representatives.

Purpose of MDC
Scope and Content Note: To promote optimum health and well-being through adequate daily use of milk and its products. Programs usually tied to the basic purpose, trying to get the most out of very limited budget.

Relationship Between MDC and National Dairy Council
Scope and Content Note: MDC, like all other thirty-eight to thirty-nine affiliates, was autonomous. Affiliates received services, not money, from NDC, including orientation and job training, interpreting research reports and using MDC library facilities, using office and program management techniques, conducting inservice programs, and making suggestions for qualified applicants. Summer and winter conferences held at Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago for staffs of affiliates with emphasis on how to evaluate programs.

Difference in Objectives Between NDC and American Dairy Association (ADA)
Scope and Content Note: Both desire to increase milk sales. NDC, a non-profit organization, seeks optimum health through leadership in nutrition education and research. ADA, Wisconsin division, promotes increased consumption of dairy products through media promotion and advertising.

Relationship of MDC Goals to Individual Farmers
Scope and Content Note: Individual dairy farmers in 1940's less aware than dairy firms of need for nutrition education. Charles Dineen, 'the dean of dairy industry' in Milwaukee, believed farmers could and would see MDC as essential service. Dineen gave Sullivan this advice 'Do for the dairy industry what it cannot possibly do for itself,' meaning that MDC could carry out programs that milk handlers could not do independently because MDC not identified with any brand name. Dineen warned against helping one dairy firm more than another.

More on How Farmers Relate to MDC
Scope and Content Note: Milk producer board members taught Sullivan how to interpret MDC programs in terms of farmers' interests. Such techniques as radio discussions and farm visits by Milwaukee school children.

MDC Early Members
Scope and Content Note: Included Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers (over 3000 farmer members in 1945), Blochowiak Dairy Company (later Bright Star Dairy), Borden Company (Gridley Division), Emmer Brothers Dairy, Gehl's Guernsey Farms, Golden Harvest Dairy, Layton Park Dairy, Luick Dairy (later Sealtest), Standard Dairy, Wilke Dairy.

End Tape 1, Side 2

Introduction

MDC Early Members, continued, and Directors
Scope and Content Note: Welbes Dairy. Sullivan found first board of directors very enthusiastic and accessible. B.L. (Bob) Blochowiak president; George Kibbee, Luick Dairy sales manager, was vice-president. Charles Dineen, secretary of Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers (MCMP), secretary-treasurer of MDC until death. Other directors included Paul Pratt of Borden's Gridley division; Aloys Emmer of Emmer Brothers Dairy; Edward Hartung, Grover Dobbertin, and James Taylor of MCMP.

Golden Guernsey Dairy Cooperative Joins MDC circa 1950
Scope and Content Note: Golden Guernsey hesitated joining MDC until sure MDC successful in keeping out marketplace competition. Mrs. Gladys Hays, director of advertising and public relations, served as Golden Guernsey representative.

Anecdote about Golden Guernsey Affiliation with National Dairy Council
Scope and Content Note: Recalls how Gladys Hays and Gavin McKerrow (Golden Guernsey president) visited Sullivan at her NDC Chicago office to tell her Golden Guernsey would affiliate with NDC.

Outstanding MDC Farmer Supporters
Scope and Content Note: Charles Dineen; Edwin Schmidt; Edward Steusser; Henry Rosenow; Craig Bean; and Gavin McKerrow.

Milk Jug Restaurants Help Advertise Dairy Products

Comments on Paul Pratt
Scope and Content Note: Well-educated, highly principled former owner of private dairy who was strong MDC supporter. Like other dairy leaders, always tried to improve knowledge of nutritive value of dairy products.

Comments on Charles Dineen
Scope and Content Note: Highly respected leader. Spoke in soft, resonant monotone and had droll wit that helped unify diverse MDC board members.

Comments on B.L. Blochowiak
Scope and Content Note: Helped Sullivan build MDC into community resource through contacts with and insights into Milwaukee's Polish community. Sent Sullivan to Dr. Alfred Sokolnicki who helped her teach dairy nutrition in Polish translation to children in summer school on Polish culture at Kosciuszko Park. Blochowiak later director of St. Francis hospital and president of Milwaukee Technical College.

More on Paul Pratt
Scope and Content Note: Recalls various community leadership positions held by Pratt.

MDC Budget and Sullivan's Beginning Salary
Scope and Content Note: 1945 budget of $15,000. Sullivan's beginning salary was $275 monthly plus parking expenses.

Difficulty Finding Apartment in Milwaukee during World War II
Scope and Content Note: First lived with mother in Schroeder Hotel; for four months forced to spend weekends with relatives in Chicago because hotel space needed for military personnel. Finally sublet apartment; later moved to Cudahy Apartments on Lake Michigan for $72 monthly, including heat, which was then considered high rent.

More on 1945 MDC Budget
Scope and Content Note: Didn't spend entire $15,000 during first year, but planned very carefully, which appealed to conservative farmer members.

Setting Up MDC Program
Scope and Content Note: Used experience from Columbus; got help from Ruth Buckner of NDC. Rented office, bought paint and furniture. Hired high school graduates; first two secretaries were daughters of dairy farmers.

End Tape 2, Side 1

Introduction

Problems Furnishing MDC Offices during Wartime
Scope and Content Note: Took four months to order draperies for large MDC reception room and office. Sullivan's mother hand-sewed draperies. Metal scarce, but found good pre-war wooden office furniture. Lacked parcel post scales for shipping educational materials to teachers, so Sullivan and secretary transported to main post office until stockroom helper hired. Frequented second-hand stores in poor Milwaukee neighborhoods to look for furnishings. Recalls first visitors to MDC were two Sisters of Charity who arrived while Sullivan installing DC fan bought from second-hand store.

Anecdote about 1948 NDC Meeting Held in Milwaukee
Scope and Content Note: NDC directors, impressed with MDC by 1947, decided to hold three-day 1948 annual meeting in Milwaukee. Preparations for annual meeting brought Sullivan closer to MDC members. Set up 'chatterbox' at Schroeder Hotel for members to visit and snack on dairy foods, and constructed several effective publicity displays.

Anecdote about Purchase of Rats for Nutritional Experiments
Scope and Content Note: Dairy farmers questioned MDC purchase of laboratory rats used to demonstrate nutrition to students.

Early MDC Programs
Scope and Content Note: Sullivan had free hand to develop programs compatible with philosophy “'to teach and preach' the important essentials of the daily nutritious diet . . . to people of all ages.” Began to work with such groups as predecessors of United Way and Wisconsin Lung Association. Remembers few came to Negro Health Days. Programs so successful that time later had to be budgeted. Worked five and a half days weekly; received no overtime for evening meetings. Also attended producer meetings in six to eight counties.

Expansion of Staff and Program
Scope and Content Note: Added assistant director and part-time student in 1946, gradually expanded programs, used television by early 1950's to teach people to buy cheaply but well. Began to distribute guide sheets for PTA and Girl Scout meetings to avoid numerous night meetings. Attended morning school faculty meetings, realizing teachers as well as students lacked adequate nutrition information. Also helped work nutrition education into curriculum for college and university teachers.

Agencies and Neighborhood Community Groups Which Support MDC
Scope and Content Note: Included staff of Milwaukee Health Department.

End Tape 2, Side 2

Introduction

Agencies and Neighborhood Community Groups Which Support MDC, continued
Scope and Content Note: Worked closely with Milwaukee county school superintendent and heads of Wisconsin and Missouri Lutheran Synod's school systems. Praised for promoting nutrition without using brand names. Representatives from other groups with teaching expertise helped MDC develop educational materials.

National Groups Approve MDC Materials
Scope and Content Note: MDC materials used in hospitals, doctors' offices; had stamp of approval from Council on Foods and Nutrition of the American Medical Association, Council on Dental Health of the American Dental Association.

MDC Develops Material for Special Groups
Scope and Content Note: Had basic book printed in Spanish; also, simple-to-read, illustrated books printed for less literate adults and children. Developed Girl Scout handbooks and created films and material for badge activities. Parent-Teacher Association once very active in MDC work but interest dwindled with advent of television. Also worked with church and industrial groups.

MDC Produces Television Shows
Scope and Content Note: Set up food models, shopping bag demonstrations. Animated cow helped teach children about farming.

MDC Provides Material for Professional Schools and Organizations
Scope and Content Note: Consumer groups, schools of dietetics, nursing, dentistry, medicine. Developed exhibits especially for statewide meetings of doctors and dentists. Provided catalog to order material from National Dairy Council and mailed bimonthly issues of Dairy Council Digest to physicians.

County and Home Economics Agents Extremely Helpful to MDC
Scope and Content Note: Extension personnel very supportive from MDC's beginning

Refinement of MDC Programs
Scope and Content Note: Tried new programs, especially after Sullivan's return to MDC in 1964.

More on Programs and Budget
Scope and Content Note: Outgrew first office by 1947. Budget, which reached $32,000 by 1972, reviewed yearly and program redefined accordingly.

Continuing Refinement of Programs and Materials
Scope and Content Note: Avoided duplicating other groups' programs. NDC did not develop specific programs for affiliates. MDC kept file of suggestions for improvements and regularly sent them to NDC.

Difficulty in Evaluating Success of MDC Programs
Scope and Content Note: No concrete way to measure effectiveness of programs; statistics not particularly useful. Kept records of meetings, requests for MDC services and other correspondence.

Changes at MDC and in Agricultural Community during 1950's and 1960's
Scope and Content Note: When Sullivan returned to MDC in 1964, board members more involved in community activities and 'agribusiness people' better understood MDC goals.

End Tape 3, Side 1

Introduction

MDC Radio and Television Programming
Scope and Content Note: Used radio extensively to reach consumers, especially call-in programs involving dairy farmers. June Dairy Month highly publicized. MDC did television demonstrations when that medium came to Milwaukee in 1951.

MDC Develops Films for School Children
Scope and Content Note: Produced black and white and later, when budget allowed, color films. Sullivan carried own projector to schools and churches. Supplied teachers with film guides. Developed own film strips. Television stations occasionally used MDC films.

Newspapers Help Publicize MDC
Scope and Content Note: Newspapers covered MDC extensively, especially during early years. Sullivan provided June Dairy Month material to Milwaukee Sentinel food editor; dairy research articles used by science editor. Often more dairy information carried in state editions than in metropolitan editions of Milwaukee newspapers.

Sullivan Develops Exhibits
Scope and Content Note: Developed educational exhibits for industries, hospitals, and restaurants. Rat-feeding demonstration particularly effective.

Importance of MDC Annual Meetings
Scope and Content Note: Recalls skit about teaching nutrition to school children which also was very effective in educating dairy business members at annual meetings.

Other Ways Sullivan Publicizes MDC Programs
Scope and Content Note: Consumer agencies used MDC printed materials; Sullivan participated in panel discussions with others involved in community health. MDC materials often more current than dated texts.

Milk Distribution and Nutrition Education in Schools
Scope and Content Note: Nutrition integrated into curriculum helped give children positive exposure to milk. Sullivan always supported government- sponsored school milk distribution program.

Contacts with Farmers
Scope and Content Note: Contacts other than annual meetings usually through MCMP board members. MCMP provided space in The Milk Producer for “Dairy Council Notes.” Informed farmers how she developed television programs designed to instruct hospital personnel on incorporating nutrition information into discussions with patients. MDC pleased to learn that Sullivan asked to participate in United Community Service three-year program to write nutrition guidelines for heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Very important at a time when dairy products being attacked because of cholesterol content. Sullivan often interviewed by farm journal reporters. Went to night meetings in eight county area to visit farmers and help “sell” them on MDC. Distributed booklets. recipes, and other literature to farm wives. ALways gave brief report on MDC activities at MCMP annual meeting. National Dairy Council meetings always inspired dairy industry members and farmers to publicize MDC and other affiliates. 4-H clubs also helped spread information about nutrition.

Anecdote about Farmer Opposition to Pasteurized Milk
Scope and Content Note: Recalls in 1940's how one farmer was angry about MDC endorsement of pasteurized milk, by then required in city of Milwaukee.

End Tape 3, Side 2

Introduction

Sullivan Helps MDC Find New Members
Scope and Content Note: Directors chiefly responsible for recruiting new MDC supporters; Sullivan helped by speaking to handlers' sales people about MDC program.

Why Some Handlers Reluctant to Participate in MDC
Scope and Content Note: When profits low, handlers felt MDC contributions competed with regular advertising budgets.

MDC Recruits New Members in Early 1950's
Scope and Content Note: Recruited partially to increase budget; post World War II costs rose and population in MDC area increased. MDC needed new members to meet greater demand for services.

Versatility in Sullivan's Schedule
Scope and Content Note: >[Here quotes from series of Milwaukee Journal articles, published in the spring of 1950.] Activities included discussing home economics article for Milwaukee Journal, organizing and planning MDC annual meeting, and writing annual report. Developed three-panel exhibit for Marquette College of Dentistry; addressed PTA and school faculty groups, held several conferences with classroom teachers, and met with film company representatives to learn about new nutrition films.

Sullivan Wisconsin Coordinator for 1969 White House Food and Nutrition Conference
Scope and Content Note: Included participation in National Work Week of Health panel discussions.

More on Television Programs
Scope and Content Note: Sullivan participated in television programs with doctors, dentists, and school lunch managers to discuss community nutrition needs and deficiencies.

Sullivan Leaves MDC in 1952
Scope and Content Note: Salary frozen at $6,000; lack of challenge since MDC unable to expand geographically. National Dairy Council offered Sullivan opportunity to plan new programs. Told Charles Dineen and Ed Schmidt (MCMP president) of intention to resign because of suspected friction between NDC president Henry Holt and a “key MDC director.” MDC directors upset over the way resignation handled. Rift eventually healed and Sullivan invited back to MDC in 1964.

Overall Relationship Between MDC and NDC
Scope and Content Note: Usually good, although MDC sometimes insistent about its autonomy.

End Tape 4, Side 1

Introduction

Comments on Catherine Clark and Brownberry Ovens, Inc.
Scope and Content Note: Good administrator who believed people would pay higher prices for bread made from coarsely ground whole wheat. Door-to-door market research preceded mass production and distribution. Effectively promoted activities at Brownberry Ovens with colonial motif and cinnamon-raisin toast at demonstrations because of delicious odor. Sullivan helped write Brownberry Ovens social studies guide, “Trip to the Baking Company” which included information on wheat growing, transportation, and processing; helped integrate nutrition information into advertising; supported use of Clark's name on bread since believed homemakers appreciated a woman in charge of quality control. Bread first sold in Whitefish Bay and Oconomowoc but purchased by members of all economic groups. Pepperidge Farms the major competitor.

Changes in Dairy Business and Attitudes Towards MDC Programs When Sullivan Returns in 1964
Scope and Content Note: Found MDC had higher budget and serviced entire Milwaukee metropolitan area. New people, agencies and programs to work with. Sullivan also had changed by learning effective use of advertising techniques. Public concerns and publicity about cholesterol and heart disease, milk products and obesity, pesticides and Strontium 90 compelled dairy business to improve research techniques and forced MDC to become expert nutrition resource agency and to demonstrate that milk not as responsible as feared.

MDC Staff and Programs in 1964
Scope and Content Note: Two assistant directors by 1964 resulted in better programs. One assistant worked with schools, another with consumers, while Sullivan responsible for administration and programs for professional organizations. More in-service training and community and group leader workshops held. Teachers taught how to make nutrition education fun. Developed television program on diet and heart disease to reduce consumer fear over dairy products.

End Tape 4, Side 2

Introduction

MDC Evaluates Programs
Scope and Content Note: Program objectives reviewed annually to determine their effectiveness and to design new approaches.

MDC Becomes Well-Respected Community Nutrition Resource Organization
Scope and Content Note: Worked closely with leaders of individual community groups and provided instructional resource kits to libraries, schools, and universities. Cooperated with community agencies to coordinate efforts and services and help develop specialists in various areas.

Sullivan Successfully Confronts the Wisconsin Heart Association
Scope and Content Note: Sullivan instigator of meeting with WHA officials in response to WHA well-publicized program encouraging public to restrict diet with emphasis on foods they should not eat, e.g., milk, butter, cheese. Sullivan, with MDC backing, reported that diet was a risk factor, not a culprit, in development of heart disease for a normal individual.

Sullivan's Attitude toward the Significance of Her Work
Scope and Content Note: Remained optimistic. Sought interest of and received cooperation from such influential people and opinion makers as pediatricians and teachers.

Nutrition Education among Blacks in the 1960's
Scope and Content Note: Ethnic realities not taken into consideration. Ignorance of Black eating habits resulted in unrealistic and potentially harmful advice on nutritional diet. Nutrition research and studies of minority life styles focused attention on need to work within ethnic realms and gradually promote dietary change.

Sullivan Assesses Benefits of Milk and Dairy Products
Scope and Content Note: Milk -- the most nearly perfect food for growth and body repair. No one ever outgrows need for milk. Increased amounts needed for adolescents, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.

Concluding Remarks about Association with MDC
Scope and Content Note: MDC for Sullivan a channel for exercising creativity and professional skill. Provided opportunity to work with people and to develop program to serve community needs. Gained personal gratification from tangible accomplishments and recognition by community citizens. Training as dietician in food cost accounting and MDC fiscal experience benefited Sullivan during retirement years.

End of Interview