Orange Alpha Company Brochure
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
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu