![Antique photo of the Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/western-health-reform-institute.jpg.webp?h=31ae35b7&itok=9Xot_dpq)
1863 to 1900:
The Early Days
In the aftermath of the Civil War, the process of building a united nation began. Meanwhile, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan. With the spiritual and prophetic guidance of Ellen White and the medical leadership of John Harvey Kellogg, MD, our legacy of whole-person care was born.
A Look Back on Our Beginnings
![ellen white](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/1_photo_-_ellen_white.jpg.webp?h=1883e6cd&itok=m46j4_2f)
1863: A Vision for Health - Ellen White
Ellen White, one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, received a vision that has served as the hallmark for our health care delivery today.
She believed it was "a sacred duty to attend to our health and speak out against intemperance of every kind." We were to point people to God's natural remedies of clean water, exercise, sunshine, nutritious food, fresh air, rest, and a trusting relationship with our God.
![An ad for Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/3_photo_-_health_reform_institute_ad.jpg.webp?h=82e73350&itok=FEelPT46)
1866: Western Health Reform Institute - Opened by Seventh-day Adventists to teach people a new way to live healthy.
![Patients and nurses at The Western Health Reform Institute in 1867.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/1867-patients-nurses.jpg.webp?h=8590887c&itok=Hrqid4vi)
1867: Principles of Healthful Living - The Western Health Reform Institute advocates exercise, rest, fresh air, water, nutrition and trust in God. Revolutionary for the time period.
![Man with a patient in a hydrotherapy tub.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/4_photo_-_hydrotherapy_treatment.jpg.webp?h=d4ae962b&itok=eMBx0b4s)
1868: Water for Health - Adventist health care features numerous hydrotherapy treatments.
![A woman leading out a group of people in breathing exercises while outdoors.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/legacy-dress-reform.5.jpg.webp?h=ef408f8e&itok=Nn7ie4aL)
1869: While cinched waistcoats and long skirts are fashionable, the Western Health Reform Institute advises loose-fitting clothes that clear the ground to prevent germs.
!["When we eat vegetarian foods, we needn't worry about what kind of disease our food died from; this makes a joyful meal!", said John Harvey Kellogg.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/1874_veg.6.jpg.webp?h=1883e6cd&itok=1z1YPSb1)
1874: John Harvey Kellogg publishes his first major statement on vegetarianism.
![The Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/7_photo_-_battle_creek_college.jpg.webp?h=1883e6cd&itok=AmPsZj1A)
1874: Battle Creek College became the first institution built to educate Adventist medical professionals to treat people’s physical needs while sharing the good news of the Gospel.
![Black and white historical photo of people standing in front of a Sanitarium](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/adventhealth-legacy-sanitarium.jpg.webp?h=edd415b0&itok=b-vM-HGz)
1876: The Western Health Reform Institute’s name is changed to the Battle Creek Sanitarium. It is a place where people learn to stay well.
![Saint Helena Sanitarium in Saint Helena, California.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/9_photo_-_st._helena_sanitarium_1878.jpg.webp?h=1883e6cd&itok=CGAuT0be)
1878: St. Helena Sanitarium - A gold rush miner donates 10 acres and shows interest in a spring for a health retreat in St. Helena, California.
![John Harvey Kellogg performing surgery with surgical team and viewers.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/battle-creek-surgery.jpg.webp?h=11961df8&itok=wZ3toPTR)
1888: Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan adds a surgical hospital. Dr. Kellogg performs approximately 22,000 surgeries in his career.
![John Harvey Kellogg and staff in a kitchen.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/nutri-cooks-and-jhk-1934.jpg.webp?h=fa2b284e&itok=UaQXgq8d)
1890: Vegetarian restaurants, medical missions and 30 sanitarium branches open in the late 19th Century. Many are short-lived; others continue to thrive now.
![The Sanitarium in Boulder, Colorado.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/bouldersanitarium.jpg.webp?h=bcc5146a&itok=KfaT7MtO)
1893: Boulder Sanitarium (AdventHealth Avista) - Boulder, Colorado (Louisville, Colorado)
Patients with tuberculosis were moving to the Denver area for treatment, and a retired Adventist minister convinced physician and entrepreneur Dr. John Harvey Kellogg to start a health program in Boulder, Colorado. Soon, the sanitarium had a reputation for helping patients recover by following the Battle Creek blueprint of pairing scientific medical care with the concepts of wellness and natural healing.
![Old photograph of people balancing on one leg and stretching outdoors.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/ahlegacy-natural-remedies-2000x1333px.jpg.webp?h=56d0ca2e&itok=N8ky7xeN)
1893: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg calls sunlight nature’s most potent and beneficial force.
![Ad for Kellogg's toasted corn flakes and front box design of Sanita's Toasted Corn Flakes.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/15_photo_-_corn_flakes_-_1894.jpg.webp?h=1883e6cd&itok=nTsPwLMB)
1894: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William discover a process for making flaked cereal, although a dispute over adding sugar to the recipe creates a lifelong rift between the brothers.
![A spoonful of peanut butter sitting on a jar of peanut butter and peanuts surrounding the jar on a table.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/peanutbutter.jpg.webp?h=aad454ab&itok=IpZJthHX)
1895: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patents a process for making peanut butter from raw peanuts and promotes it as a healthy protein substitute for patients without teeth.
![Medical School in Battle Creek, Michigan.](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x533/public/media/1895_medical.17.jpg.webp?h=1883e6cd&itok=cU5aN45z)
1895: American Medical Missionary College Opens in Battle Creek, Michigan - The American Medical Missionary College, the first Adventist medical school, opens campuses in Battle Creek, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. Fees are $80 per year.
The Beginning of the AdventHealth Legacy
Midway through the American Civil War, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan. Learn more about the formative events that shaped our whole-person healing legacy between 1863 and 1900.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is Founded
On May 23, 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially founded in Battle Creek, Michigan. Distinguished by its observance of Saturday as the Sabbath — the original seventh day of the Judeo–Christian week — and by its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the movement now has a worldwide membership of over 17 million people and has a missionary presence in over 200 countries.
Opening of the Western Health Reform Institute
In 1866, a small group of Seventh-day Adventist believers opened the Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan, later known as the Battle Creek Sanitarium. They began pioneering health practices that changed society’s fundamental understanding of medicine and healthy living. In sharp contrast to the medical practices of the day, they turned to the Bible and found many scriptures that gave timeless advice on how to live a healthy life.
Battle Creek College is Founded
Founded in 1874, Battle Creek College was the first Adventist college and is known today as Andrews University. Andrews now attracts undergraduate to doctoral students from around the globe. U.S. News & World Report ranks Andrews University as one of the most culturally diverse universities in the nation.
Today, Adventists operate the largest protestant educational system in the world, with nearly 8,000 schools — from preschools to universities — in more than 100 countries. A major focus of Adventist schools is training new generations of skilled, compassionate health care providers.
John Harvey Kellogg Becomes Superintendent of Battle Creek Sanitarium
Shortly after graduating with his medical degree in 1875, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg became the first medical director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium. He researched new and better ways to help his patients stay healthy and, in the process, created a more nutritious breakfast option than the unhealthy options offered at the time, still known and enjoyed today as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. He led the Sanitarium until his death in 1943.
C. W. Barron, the founder of The Wall Street Journal, once told a reporter he didn’t understand Dr. Kellogg, saying, “He should have been one of the richest men in the world, but that he lets money slip through his fingers so easily.”
Kellogg’s response was, “What is money for, except to make the world better, to help people have a better life?”
Ellen White Publishes Healthful Living
An influential and prophetic figure, Ellen G. White wrote much about health, healthy eating and a vegetarian diet. In her book Counsels on Diet & Foods, she gives advice on eating nutritious foods in moderation. She also warns against the use of tobacco, which was medically accepted in her time. Her views on health are expressed in the writings Healthful Living, The Health Food Ministry and The Ministry of Healing.
Co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and founder of many health sanitariums, including Battle Creek Sanitarium, Ellen White was instrumental within the small group of early Adventist health pioneers (that included her husband, James White) in advocating for healthy living and whole-person care.
Explore All the Chapters of Our History
![That first Adventist health care facility at Battle Creek](/sites/default/files/styles/fc_800x800/public/media/bcs_c1884b.jpg.webp?h=572b7581&itok=ynphmjod)
1863 to 1900: The Early Days
In 1866, Seventh-day Adventists opened what became known as Battle Creek Sanitarium. Learn more about our roots.
1900 to 1950: A Different Kind of Health Care
Seventh-day Adventist health pioneers promoted a new way to live healthy and whole that stood in stark contrast to the medical practices of the day.
1950 to 2000: Changing Times
Health care was rapidly changing, and some communities turned to Adventist hospital leaders for guidance and help.
Expanding Markets
With a new millennium came a time of expansion. AdventHealth grew its footprint well beyond Central Florida, opening facilities in multiple states across the country.
AdventHealth Today
Now flourishing as a national brand, we continue our legacy of whole-person care by Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ to our patients and communities.
Share Your Piece of Our Legacy
Do you have a special story about the AdventHealth legacy or a historical memorabilia item? Reach out to our Legacy Preservation Team at [email protected] and share your special piece of our living history.