Jesse Mercer Gehman | |
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Born | January 17, 1901 |
Died | 1976 (aged 74–75) |
Occupation(s) | Naturopath, writer |
Jesse Mercer Gehman (January 17, 1901 – 1976) was an American naturopath, vegetarianism activist and amateur wrestler associated with the natural hygiene and physical culture movement.
Gehman graduated from the American College of Naturopathy and Chiropractic in 1925. [1] He obtained a doctorate in natural philosophy in 1931. He was a vegetarian and wrote articles for the American Vegetarian-Hygienist and the Health and Strength magazine. [1]
Gehman was Chairman of the First American Vegetarian Convention held at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1949. [2] He was Vice-President of the International Vegetarian Union (1960–1977), he was also President of the American Naturopathic Association. [3] Gehman was Benedict Lust's successor. He wrote an authorized biography of Lust, but the work was never published. [4] Gehman worked as an associate editor for Bernarr Macfadden's Physical Culture magazine. He founded his own naturopathic resort near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. [5] Gehman was a founding member of the American Natural Hygiene Society. [6]
Gehman was an anti-vaccinationist. He commented that naturopaths do not believe in "vaccination, inoculation, contagion, infection or drugs of any kind." [2] His best known work Smoke Over America, examined the dangers of tobacco smoke. It was negatively reviewed in The Sanitarian journal as "poorly organized, unscientific, over-written." [7] He was secretary of the Citizens Medical Reference Bureau from the 1930s–1950s, which had connections to the Anti-Vaccination League of America. [8] He recommended clean living, exercise, fasting and a vegetarian diet to treat cancer, he commented that "the cure of cancer is in simple natural physical culture living". [9]
Gehman was an amateur wrestler, under the name Jim Mercer. [1] His brother was "Atomic" Marvin Mercer, a heavyweight wrestling champion. [10] [11]
Jesse Mercer Gehman | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | January 17, 1901 |
Died | 1976 (aged 74–75) |
Occupation(s) | Naturopath, writer |
Jesse Mercer Gehman (January 17, 1901 – 1976) was an American naturopath, vegetarianism activist and amateur wrestler associated with the natural hygiene and physical culture movement.
Gehman graduated from the American College of Naturopathy and Chiropractic in 1925. [1] He obtained a doctorate in natural philosophy in 1931. He was a vegetarian and wrote articles for the American Vegetarian-Hygienist and the Health and Strength magazine. [1]
Gehman was Chairman of the First American Vegetarian Convention held at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1949. [2] He was Vice-President of the International Vegetarian Union (1960–1977), he was also President of the American Naturopathic Association. [3] Gehman was Benedict Lust's successor. He wrote an authorized biography of Lust, but the work was never published. [4] Gehman worked as an associate editor for Bernarr Macfadden's Physical Culture magazine. He founded his own naturopathic resort near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. [5] Gehman was a founding member of the American Natural Hygiene Society. [6]
Gehman was an anti-vaccinationist. He commented that naturopaths do not believe in "vaccination, inoculation, contagion, infection or drugs of any kind." [2] His best known work Smoke Over America, examined the dangers of tobacco smoke. It was negatively reviewed in The Sanitarian journal as "poorly organized, unscientific, over-written." [7] He was secretary of the Citizens Medical Reference Bureau from the 1930s–1950s, which had connections to the Anti-Vaccination League of America. [8] He recommended clean living, exercise, fasting and a vegetarian diet to treat cancer, he commented that "the cure of cancer is in simple natural physical culture living". [9]
Gehman was an amateur wrestler, under the name Jim Mercer. [1] His brother was "Atomic" Marvin Mercer, a heavyweight wrestling champion. [10] [11]