William Frank Longgood (September 12, 1917 – August 9, 2000) was an American journalist and writer known for the controversial book ''Poisons in Your Food''.

Biography

Longgood was born in St. Louis.Brennan, Elizabeth A; Clarage, Elizabeth C. (1999). ''Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners''. Oryx Press. p. 392. He graduated from the

Missouri School of Journalism The Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in all areas of journalism and strategic comm ...

in 1940. Longgood worked as a salesman and writer for radio stations in

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...

during 1940–1942.Fischer, Heinz Dietrich; Fischer, Erika J. (2002). ''Complete Biographical Encyclopedia of Pulitzer Prize Winners, 1917–2000''. Munich: K. G. Saur. pp. 145–146. He served in the United States Armed Forces (1943–1946). After his discharge he worked as a reporter for the '' Newark Evening News'' in New York until 1948. He worked for the '' New York World-Telegram'' (1948–1965). He was the text editor of ''

Time-Life Books Time Life, with sister subsidiaries StarVista Live and Lifestyle Products Group, a holding of Direct Holdings Global LLC, is an American production company and direct marketer conglomerate, that is known for selling books, music, video/DVD, ...

'' (1965–1968) and a teacher at the New School for Social Research in New York (1966–1972). He won the George Polk Memorial award from

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...

in 1954. He also won the

1963 Pulitzer Prize The following are the Pulitzer Prizes for 1963. Journalism awards *Public Service: **The ''Chicago Daily News'', for calling public attention to the issue of providing birth control services in the public health programs in its area. * Local Re ...

. He moved to Cape Cod in 1973.

Books

''Poisons in Your Food''

Longgood was concerned about

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

s and

chemical additives Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar ( pickling), salt (sal ...

being inserted into foods and authored the controversial book ''Poisons in Your Food'', in 1960.Kirchhelle, Claas. (2020)
''Chapter 2: Picking One’s Poisons''
In ''Pyrrhic Progress: The History of Antibiotics in Anglo-American Food Production''. Rutgers University Press. During 1950–1952 a select committee held a series of hearings to investigate the use of "Chemicals in Foods and Cosmetics" which were published by the United States Congress. The hearings provided a basis for the book. Longgood stated that antibiotic residues were "vitamin antagonists" and masked disease in slaughtered animals. The book contains a chapter "Bug Killers in Every Bite" which states that roast beef may contain traces of aldrin, chlordane, DDT,

dieldrin Dieldrin is an organochloride originally produced in 1948 by J. Hyman & Co, Denver, as an insecticide. Dieldrin is closely related to aldrin, which reacts further to form dieldrin. Aldrin is not toxic to insects; it is oxidized in the insect to fo ...

, and lindane. It was negatively reviewed by nutritionist William J. Darby in the '' Science'' journal. Darby commented that the book was written from a non-scientific bias of a natural food-organic cult follower of J. I. Rodale and suggested that it will "no doubt be welcomed by those who believe with him that the public is the victim of a giant conspiracy joined in by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the "big chemical companies" and, apparently, scientists in general– a charge so ridiculous that it serves only to be ignored." Longgood replied in a letter to ''Science'' stating that the review was an "attack" and had damaged sales of his book because the Manufacturing Chemists' Association had sent reprints of the review to newspaper editors. The book was criticized for citing dubious sources such as Royal Lee of Milwaukee who was convicted for fraudulent claims and

Adelle Davis Adelle Davis (25 February 1904 – 31 May 1974) was an American writer and nutritionist, considered "the most famous nutritionist in the early to mid-20th century." She was an advocate for improved health through better nutrition. She wrote an e ...

. Nutritionist

Frederick J. Stare Fredrick John Stare (April 11, 1910 – April 4, 2002) was an American nutritionist regarded as one of the country's most influential teachers of nutrition. Life and career Stare was born in Columbus, Wisconsin, and educated in chemistry a ...

included ''Poisons in Your Food'' in a list of least desirable books on nutritional quackery. The book was positively received outside of the scientific community. There is evidence that Rachel Carson was familiar with Longgood's book. In 1960, Carson commented in a letter to

Marjorie Spock Marjorie Spock (September 8, 1904, New Haven, Connecticut – January 23, 2008, Sullivan, Maine) was an environmentalist, writer and poet, best known for her influence on Rachel Carson when the latter was writing ''Silent Spring''. Spock was a ...

, "It is too bad that Mr. Longgood is having such rough going with his book, although I suppose not surprising. His reporting of the trial would automatically make him a target of the New York State Department of Agriculture."

''The Darkening Land''

Longgood authored ''The Darkening Land'' in 1972 which received positive reviews."The Darkening Land"
''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

''. Retrieved March 30, 2020. The book documented how humans have

polluted Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

the land, sea, and air. Environmentalist

Dennis Puleston Dennis Puleston (30 December 1905 – 8 June 2001) was a British-born American environmentalist, adventurer and designer. He is perhaps best known for playing a key part in securing a nationwide ban in the United States on the use of the pesticide ...

positively reviewed the book in '' The Quarterly Review of Biology'' commenting that "among the spate of recent books decrying the environmental deterioration of Planet Earth, this work stands out from the rest as the most comprehensive and well-documented indictment of man's treatment of his natural world."

Selected publications

*''Suez Story: Key to the Middle East'' (1957) *''The Pink Slip'' (1959)
''Poisons In Your Food''
(1960, 1971) *''Talking Your Way to Success'' (1962) *''Ike: A Pictorial Biography'' (1969) *''The Darkening Land'' (1972) *''The Queen Must Die: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men'' (1985) *''Voices from the Earth: A Year in the Life of a Garden'' (1991)

References