William H. Calbreath

William H. Calbreath (July 29, 1850 – May 26, 1944, age 93) claimed to have been the model for the Cream of Wheat trademark,[1] one of the most enduring images in the history of American advertising.[2]

1909 Cream of Wheat advertisement

Early years

Calbreath was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a former slave who had been freed about 15 years before the outbreak of the Civil War.[1] Several years after the war, he took a position as a cook at a Detroit restaurant. From there, he served as a chef at Put-in-Bay, Mackinac Island, the Detroit's Star Island clubhouse.[1] His skills as a chef also earned him a stint at New York City's famed Delmonico's.[1]

Contested claim

Calbreath claimed that he served as the model for the original Cream of Wheat trademark, which was used by the company from the early 1900s to about 1925.[3] At that point, the original trademark was modified.[3] Calbreath's claim has never been officially confirmed, though it has been widely reported in newspapers in northeastern Ohio, where he settled later in life.[1]

Later years

Calbreath spent his last years in Struthers, Ohio, a town located near the industrial center of Youngstown. Until his retirement, he was employed as a coal dealer.[1] Calbreath died at the age of 93, surviving his wife, Addie, and a daughter, Mrs. B. Graves, of Detroit.[1]

References
  1. "One-Time Champion Cook Recalls Days of Fame". The Youngstown Telegram. July 1, 1927.
  2. Watkins, Julian, The 100 Greatest Advertisements (New York: Dover Publications, 1959), pp. 20-21.
  3. Morgan, Hal, Symbols of America (New York: Penguin, 1987), p. 131.
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