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Orange Alpha Company Brochure

 Item — Box: 1 of 1
Identifier: RH-A-4284

Scope and Contents

The collection is composed of one item from the Orange Alpha Company.

The brochure advertises their product Orange Alpha, also referred to as the Seal of Health. The product is an orange juice compound containing dehydrated orange juice, orange powder, lemon powder, cane sugar, cerelose, powdered whole milk, powdered egg yolk, and Vitamins A and D from Cod liver oil. The brochure also discusses the importance of vitamins and calcium in the diet, detailing the different vitamins and their benefits and the effects caused by deficiencies in the diet.

Dates

  • Creation: approximately 1930

Biographical / Historical

In April 1, 1934, a new food and drink company named Calcivita was formed, with Dr. J Byron Cronkrite as president. The company was located in the Remington-Rand building, which also housed the National Drug & Chemical Co on the 3rd floor. The formula listed in the ad for the new Calcivita Company is identical to the formula in the Orange Alpha brochure. The company was only 2 months old at the time of the article but Cronkrite had been developing the formula for several years. R. P. Jones and H. D. Grodon served as Vice President and Director of Sales respectively.

The Calcivita Co can be found in Kalamazoo city directories between the years of 1934 and 1940. Prior to the Calcivita Co, Cronkrite organized the Oranjola Company in 1933. The company declared bankruptcy in February 1934.

The Orange Alpha health drink is assumed to be a variation or iteration of Cronkrite’s formula as seen in the Calcivita and Oranjola companies.

Extent

.10 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased with funds from Starring Endowment.

Physical Description

The collection amounts to .10 cubic feet and is composed of one brochure from the Orange Alpha Company. The item is in good condition. The black ink print is still vibrant and readable and the white cardstock has no physical damage. There are no illustrations in the brochure.

Title
Orange Alpha Company Brochure finding aid
Author
Stephanie Chapman
Date
2022-07-26
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository

Contact:
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490