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42-441: The company changed its name to "General Foods" in 1929, after several corporate acquisitions, by Marjorie Merriweather Post after she inherited the established cereal business from her father, C. W. Post. In November 1985, General Foods was acquired by Philip Morris Companies (now Altria ) for $ 5.6 billion, the largest non-oil acquisition at the time. In December 1988, Philip Morris acquired Kraft Foods Inc. , and, in 1990, combined

84-678: A 275- ct (55 g) diamond-and-turquoise necklace and tiara set that Napoleon I gave to his second wife, Empress Marie Louise ; the Marie Antoinette Diamond Earrings , a pair of diamond earrings set with pear shapes, weighing 14 ct (2.8 g) and 20 ct (4 g), once belonging to Marie Antoinette ; the Blue Heart Diamond, a 30.82-ct (6.164 g) heart-shaped blue diamond ring; and an emerald-and-diamond necklace and ring, once belonging to Habsburg aristocrat and one time emperor of Mexico, Maximilian . According to

126-569: A Washington, D.C., lawyer. They had no children and were divorced in 1955. From November 1936 to June 1938, in a crucial period leading up to World War II , Davies served as the American ambassador to the Soviet Union , ruled at that time by Joseph Stalin . Post accompanied Davies to Moscow, and they acquired many valuable Russian works of art from Soviet authorities at very reasonable prices. Herbert A. May: Post's final marriage, in 1958,

168-557: A commercially viable process for quick-freezing foods using a belt mechanism, which he patented. In 1924, with backing from three investors, he formed the "General Seafoods Company" in Gloucester, Massachusetts to produce frozen haddock fillets packed in plain cardboard boxes. The founder's daughter, Marjorie Merriweather Post, was the first to become excited about the prospects for the frozen foods business. In 1926, she had put into port at Gloucester on her yacht, Sea Cloud , and

210-486: A great deal of space and electricity, which were not readily available in most grocery stores of the period. For those stores that could accommodate them, the payback was immediate. Housewives quickly realized that keeping packages of frozen food in the icebox could mean fresher meals and fewer trips to the market. The company published a cookbook in 1932 called the General Foods Cook Book dedicated "To

252-465: A slight loss. Shortly after the acquisition, General Foods began test-marketing an expanded line of frozen foods , but the company quickly realized that a packaging process alone would not be sufficient to market frozen products in stores. To be sold, the packages had to be kept frozen while on display, so Birdseye engineers began development of a freezer cabinet designed specifically to hold frozen foods. The cabinet, which first appeared in 1934, required

294-588: A voyage on her yacht, the Hussar , she came across the innovations of Clarence Birdseye in Gloucester, Massachusetts . Birdseye had developed a new way to preserve food by freezing it. Post foresaw the future advantages of frozen food, and bought Birdseye's company, which eventually became a success. Post funded a U.S. Army hospital in France during World War I , and, decades later, the French government awarded her

336-566: A yearly summer festival called Kool-Aid Days on the second weekend in August in honor of their city's claim to fame. Kool-Aid is known as Nebraska 's official soft drink . An agreement between Kraft Foods and SodaStream in 2012 made Kool-Aid's various flavors available for consumer purchases and use with SodaStream's home soda maker machine. There is an active scene of Kool-Aid collectors. A rare old Kool-Aid package can be traded for up to several hundred dollars on auction websites. Kool-Aid

378-536: Is "Oh, yeah!". In 2013, Kraft decided to overhaul the Kool-Aid Man, reimagining him as a CGI character, "a celebrity trying to show that he's just an ordinary guy." Starting in 2011, Kraft began allocating the majority of the Kool-Aid marketing budget towards Latinos. According to the brand, almost 20 percent of Kool-Aid drinkers are Hispanic, and slightly more than 20 percent are African-American. " Drinking

420-400: Is unclear whether they intended to refer to the actual Kool-Aid–brand drink or were using the name in a generic sense that might refer to any powdered flavored beverage. There have been multiple documented instances of Kool-Aid being spiked with the psychedelic drug lysergic acid diethylamide . Most notable of these was during Project MKUltra , in which subjects would be given Kool-Aid that

462-609: Is usually sold in powder form, in either packets or small tubs. The actual beverage is prepared by mixing the powder with sugar (the packets of powder are usually, though not always, unsweetened) and water, typically by the pitcherful. The drink is usually either served with ice or refrigerated and served chilled. Additionally, there are some sugar-free varieties. Kool-Aid is also sold as single-serving packets designed to be poured into bottled water, as small plastic bottles with pre-mixed drink, or as such novelties as ice cream or fizzing tablets. The colors in Kool-Aid will stain, and hence

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504-551: The Battle Creek Sanitarium (run by John Harvey Kellogg , brother of Kellogg Company founder Will Keith Kellogg ). Post was inspired by the diet there to start his food company (and become a rival to the Kellogg brothers, who sold their own breakfast cereals). He invested $ 78 in his initial equipment and supplies and set up manufacturing in a barn on what was known as the 'Old Beardsley Farm'. His first product

546-606: The George Washington University 's Mount Vernon Campus). She maintained a close lifelong relationship with her alma mater and served as its first alumna trustee. Today, a collection of her correspondence with Mount Vernon administrators is maintained by GWU's Special Collections Research Center. Post's complete collection of personal papers, as well as those of her father, are held by the University of Michigan 's Bentley Historical Library . Post became

588-669: The Hermitage Museum Foundation, Post was a Russophile . During the 1930s, the Soviet government under Joseph Stalin began selling art treasures and other valuables seized from the Romanov family and former Russian aristocrats after the Russian Revolution to earn hard currency for its industrialization and military armament programs. Critics have claimed that these items were expropriated; however,

630-619: The History Channel docudrama series The Food That Built America , which debuted in 2019. A fictionalized version of Merriweather Post was played by Amy Schumer in the 2024 Netflix film Unfrosted written by Jerry Seinfeld . In 2008, The New York Times published an article, " Mystery on Fifth Avenue ", about a luxury Fifth Avenue apartment that the occupants, Steven Klinsky and Maureen Sherry, had "redesigned to include hidden compartments, messages, puzzles, poems, codes and games for their four preteen kids." The apartment

672-912: The Legion of Honour , in the degree of Commander. Starting in 1929 and throughout the Great Depression, she financed and personally supervised a Salvation Army feeding station in New York. She also donated the cost of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters in Washington. Years later in 1971, she was among the first three recipients of the Silver Fawn Award , presented by the Boy Scouts of America . The 425-acre (172 ha) Lake Merriweather at Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen, Virginia,

714-485: The American homemaker". Five editions were published between 1932 and 1937. The book includes photographs (among which is "General Foods offers over twenty famous products for your well-stocked pantry shelf") and a subject index. General Foods acquired the Perkins Product Company, the makers of Kool-Aid , in 1953, Burger Chef in 1968, Oscar Mayer in 1981, Entenmann's in 1982, Oroweat in 1984, and

756-543: The Freihofer baking company in 1987. The company then sold Burger Chef to Imasco , owner of Hardee's , in 1981. General Foods was acquired by Philip Morris Companies (now Altria) in 1985. In 1989, Phillip Morris merged General Foods with Kraft Foods Inc., which it had acquired in 1987, to form the Kraft General Foods division. The cereal brands of Nabisco were acquired in 1993. In 1995 Kraft General Foods

798-472: The Kool-Aid " is a phrase suggesting that one has mindlessly adopted a dogma of a group or a (cult) leader without fully understanding the ramifications or implications. The backdrop of this are events culminating in the 1978 Jonestown Massacre . At Jonestown, Guyana, followers of Jim Jones ' Temple drank from a metal vat containing a mixture of "Kool Aid", cyanide , and prescription drugs Valium , Phenergan , and chloral hydrate . Present-day descriptions of

840-601: The National Symphony. Merriweather Hall (formerly 'The Post House') and Post Hall, at the George Washington University 's Mount Vernon Campus , is named in her honor. Kool-Aid Kool-Aid is an American brand of flavored drink mix owned by Kraft Heinz based in Chicago , Illinois. The powder form was created by Edwin Perkins in 1927 based upon a liquid concentrate named Fruit Smack . Kool-Aid

882-816: The Russian Revolution, including victims of Stalin's Terror at discount prices from Soviet authorities. Many of the items, which remain under the control of the Post estate or its agents, can be viewed at Hillwood , her former estate. Hillwood has operated as a private museum since Post's death and displays her French and Russian art collection, featuring the work of Fabergé , Sèvres porcelain , French furniture, tapestries, and paintings. Edward Bennett Close : In 1905, Post married investment banker Edward Bennett Close of Greenwich, Connecticut . They divorced in 1919. Together, they had two daughters: Via his second marriage, Edward Bennett Close would later become

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924-811: The beginning of the Music for Young America Concerts, which she financed annually. The Merriweather Post Pavilion , an outdoor concert venue in Columbia, Maryland , is named for her. Some of Post's jewelry, bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is displayed in the Harry Winston exhibit. Pieces in the collection include the Napoleon Diamond Necklace and the Marie Louise Diadem ,

966-459: The commune's supplies: Film footage shot inside the compound prior to the events of November shows Jones opening a large chest in which boxes of both Flavor Aid and Kool-Aid are visible. Criminal investigators testifying at the Jonestown inquest spoke of finding packets of "cool aid" ( sic ), and eyewitnesses to the incident are also recorded as speaking of "cool aid" or "Cool Aid." However, it

1008-422: The event sometimes claim the beverage was not Kool-Aid, but Flavor Aid , a less-expensive product from Jel Sert reportedly found at the site. Kraft Foods , the creator of Kool-Aid, has stated the same. Implied by this accounting of events is that the reference to the Kool-Aid brand owes exclusively to its being better-known among Americans. Others are less categorical. Both brands are known to have been among

1050-671: The fraternity of sons-in-law as her "boys", while they called her "Mother Marjorie". Post was honored by Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity as a "Golden Daughter of Minerva". She donated $ 100,000 to the National Cultural Center in Washington that would later become the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts . In 1955, she contributed $ 100,000 to the National Symphony for free concerts that led to

1092-541: The mental capacity of the article's author, and Collier's Weekly sued for libel. The case was heard in 1910, and Post was fined $ 50,000. The decision was overturned on appeal, but advertisements for Postum products stopped making such claims. C.W. Post died in 1914, and his daughter Marjorie Merriweather Post took over the company. The Postum Cereals company acquired others such as Jell-O (gelatin dessert) in 1925, Walter Baker & Company (chocolate) in 1927, Maxwell House (coffee) in 1928, and other food brands. By far

1134-569: The most important acquisition in 1929 was of the frozen-food company owned by Clarence Birdseye , called "General Seafood Corporation". Birdseye (December 9, 1886 - October 7, 1956) was one of the most important entrepreneurs in the history of the food industry. Born in New York City, he became interested in the frozen preservation of food during the course of working as a fur trader in Labrador between 1912 and 1916. By 1923, he had developed

1176-430: The owner of Postum Cereal Company in 1914, after the death of her father, and was a director of the company until 1958. She, along with her second husband, E.F. Hutton , began expanding the business and acquiring other American food companies such as Hellmann's Mayonnaise, Jell-O , Baker's Chocolate , Maxwell House , and many more. In 1929, Postum Cereal Company was renamed General Foods Corporation . While taking

1218-684: The paternal grandfather of actress Glenn Close . Edward Francis Hutton : Post was married for a second time, in 1920, to financier Edward Francis Hutton . In 1923, he became the chairman of the board of the Postum Cereal Company. Together they developed a larger variety of food products, including Birdseye Frozen Foods . The company became the General Foods Corporation in 1929. Post and Hutton divorced in 1935. They had one daughter: Joseph E. Davies : In 1935, Post married her third husband, Joseph E. Davies ,

1260-439: The substance can be used as a dye for either hair or wool . The Kool-Aid Man, an anthropomorphic pitcher filled with Kool-Aid, is the mascot of Kool-Aid. The character was introduced shortly after General Foods acquired the brand in the 1950s. In television and print ads, the Kool-Aid Man was known for randomly bursting through walls of children's homes and proceeding to make a batch of Kool-Aid for them. His catchphrase

1302-548: The transactions by Post and her third husband, Joseph E. Davies , were from the recognized governmental authority. Neither Post nor Davies were involved with the original seizing of the items. Allegations later surfaced that many works of art from the Tretyakov Gallery and other collections were either donated or offered at nominal prices to the couple, who were both art collectors. Davies is also alleged to have purchased art expropriated from Soviet citizens well after

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1344-619: The two food companies as Kraft General Foods. The "General Foods" name was dropped in 1995 with the corporate name being reverted to Kraft Foods; a line of caffeinated hot beverage mixes continued to carry the General Foods International name until 2010. General Foods background can be traced to the Post Cereal Company, founded by C. W. Post in 1895 in Battle Creek, Michigan . Post was a patient at

1386-415: Was Postum , a "cereal beverage" alternative to coffee made from wheat and molasses. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts , was developed in 1897 followed by Elijah's Manna in 1904 which was renamed Post Toasties in 1908. In 1907 Collier's Weekly published an article questioning the claim made in advertisements for Grape Nuts that it could cure appendicitis . C. W. Post responded with advertisements questioning

1428-627: Was born in Springfield, Illinois , the daughter and only child of C. W. Post and Ella Letitia Merriweather. At age 27, following her father's death in 1914, she became the owner of the rapidly growing Postum Cereal Company , founded in 1895. She inherited a US$ 20 million fortune. Post lived in Battle Creek, Michigan from ages 3-14. She then moved to Washington, D.C. to attend the Mount Vernon Seminary and College (now

1470-513: Was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska . All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. To reduce shipping costs, in 1927, Perkins discovered a way to remove the liquid from Fruit Smack, leaving only a powder; this powder was named Kool-Aid. Perkins moved his production to Chicago in 1931 and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953. Hastings still celebrates

1512-538: Was named in her honor. In 1966, at Long Island University's C.W. Post College, located on her former Long Island estate , she became honorary housemother of Zeta Beta Tau's Gamma Delta chapter, often hosting the fraternity brothers for brunches. Post served as the honorary house mother of the college's first local fraternity, Sigma Beta Epsilon, which, in 1969, became the New York Beta chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon . Since Post had borne only girls, she referred to

1554-420: Was originally part of a triplex built for Merriwether Post in the 1920s. The redesign was undertaken by Eric Clough and his architectural firm, 212box. American filmmaker J. J. Abrams purchased the rights to "Mystery on Fifth Avenue" but as yet no film about it has been produced. Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland , is named in her honor because of her years of sustained financial support for

1596-460: Was portrayed by Ann Harding in the 1943 film Mission to Moscow . It was a dramatization of the book by the same title, written by her third husband Joseph E. Davies, who had chronicled his time as U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Anne Francis portrayed Merriweather Post in the 1987 miniseries Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story . She was portrayed by Morgan Bradley in

1638-525: Was reorganized, and the Kraft Foods name was restored. On November 15, 2007, Kraft announced it would spin off Post Cereals and merge that business with Ralcorp Holdings . That merger was completed August 4, 2008, at which time the official name of the company became Post Foods, LLC. Marjorie Merriweather Post Marjorie Merriweather Post (March 15, 1887 – September 12, 1973) was an American businesswoman, socialite , and philanthropist . She

1680-476: Was served a luncheon meal which, she learned to her amazement, had been frozen six months before. Despite her enthusiasm, it took Post three years to convince Postum's management to acquire the company. Postum paid $ 10.75 million for a 51% interest and its partner, Goldman Sachs , paid $ 12.5 million for the other 49%. Following this acquisition, Postum, Inc changed its name to General Foods Corporation. Goldman sold its share back to General Foods in 1932, apparently at

1722-650: Was the daughter of C. W. Post and the owner of General Foods Corporation . For much of Marjorie Post's life, she was known as the wealthiest woman in the United States. Post used much of her fortune to collect art, particularly Imperial -era Russian art , much of which is now on display at Hillwood , the museum which was her estate in Washington, D.C. She is also known for her mansion, Mar-a-Lago , in Palm Beach, Florida . Marjorie Merriweather Post

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1764-644: Was to Herbert A. May, a wealthy Pittsburgh businessman and the former master of fox hounds of the Rolling Rock Hunt Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania . That marriage ended in divorce in May 1964 and she subsequently reclaimed the name Marjorie Merriweather Post. Post died at her Hillwood estate in Washington, D.C. , on September 12, 1973, after a long illness, and was buried there. She left the bulk of her estate to her three daughters. Merriweather Post

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