Frey Ellis
Frey Ellis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Frey Richard Ellis 22 September 1918 |
| Died | 11 August 1978 |
| Occupation | Haematologist |
| Spouse |
Joan Hodge (m. 1942) |
Frey Richard Ellis (22 September 1918 – 11 August 1978) was a British consultant haematologist at Kingston Hospital, best known for his research on vegan nutrition. He was president of The Vegan Society from 1964 to 1978.
Career
[edit]Ellis qualified from King's College London in 1943.[1] He joined the RAMC and served in Italy until 1946. He was assistant pathologist at the London Clinic until 1949 and at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth.[1] He obtained his MD in 1953 and joined the group laboratory at Kingston Hospital. In 1965, he was appointed consultant haematologist.[1] Ellis was a vegan and took interest in nutrition.[1] He was a scientific advisor to the Humane Research Trust and RSPCA.[1]
Ellis became a committee member and vice-president of the Vegan Society in 1961 and was its president from 1964 until his death in 1978.[2][3][4] In 1972, Ellis argued that the Vegan Society was gaining popularity, commenting that "we have 1,200 members, an increase of about 700 in the last eight years".[5] He wrote articles for The Vegan magazine.[6]
In 1976, Ellis appeared in the Open Door TV series in the episode "The Vegan Society: To a Brighter Future".[7] In the episode, Ellis argued that vegans have lower blood cholesterol than meat-eaters.[8]
Legacy
[edit]Ellis has been cited as a pioneering scientist in the field of vegan nutrition.[9] Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina have described Ellis as a "gentle man worked to show the scientific world that a vegan diet could be nutritionally adequate".[3]
In 1979, the Vegan Society established the Dr. Frey Ellis Research Fund in his memory.[10] Freya Dinshah has cited Ellis as an influence on her parents and sister who became vegan.[11]
Selected publications
[edit]- "The Nutritional Status of Vegans and Vegetarians". Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 26 (2): 205–212. 1967. doi:10.1079/PNS19670038.
- "Veganism, Clinical Findings and Investigations". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 23 (3): 249–255. 1970. doi:10.1093/ajcn/23.3.249.
- Vegan Nutrition. The Vegan Society. 1981. (with T. A. B. Sanders)[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Obituary". British Medical Journal. 2 (6139): 777–778. 1978.
- ^ "The Vegan Society". The Vegan. 12 (6). 1961.
- ^ a b Davis, Brenda; Melina, Vesanto (2000). Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-based Diet. Book Publishing Company. p. 4. ISBN 978-1570671036.
- ^ Jesper, Anne (2004). Raising Good Children. Lutterworth Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0718830373.
- ^ "No Sweets for the Fruit and Nut Kids". Sunday People. May 21, 1972. p. 6. (subscription required)
- ^ "Ripened by human determination" (PDF). The Vegan Society. 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2025.
- ^ "Open Door: The Vegan Society 1976". YouTube. 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2013.
- ^ Oliver, Catherine (2024). What Is Veganism For?. Bristol University Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-1529234343.
- ^ Koeder C, Perez-Cueto FJA (2024). "Vegan nutrition: a preliminary guide for health professionals". Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 64 (3): 670–707. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2107997.
- ^ "Dr. Frey Ellis Research Fund". The Vegan. 26 (4): 11. 1979.
- ^ "Interview with Freya Dinshah" (PDF). Eugene Veg Education Network. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 3, 2013.
- ^ "Vegan Nutrition". Trove. 2025. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025.