Frey Ellis
English consultant haematologist
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Frey Richard Ellis (22 September 1918 – 11 August 1978) was a British consultant haematologist at Kingston Hospital, best known for his research on vegan nutrition. He was president of The Vegan Society from 1964 to 1978.
22 September 1918
Frey Ellis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Frey Richard Ellis 22 September 1918 |
| Died | 11 August 1978 (aged 59) |
| Occupation | Haematologist |
| Spouse |
Joan Hodge (m. 1942) |
Career
Ellis qualified from King's College London in 1943.[1] He joined the RAMC and served in Italy until 1946. He was assistant pathologist at the London Clinic until 1949 and at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth.[1] He obtained his MD in 1953 and joined the group laboratory at Kingston Hospital. In 1965, he was appointed consultant haematologist.[1] Ellis was a vegan and took interest in nutrition.[1] He was a scientific advisor to the Humane Research Trust and RSPCA.[1]
Ellis became a committee member and vice-president of the Vegan Society in 1961 and was its president from 1964 until his death in 1978.[2][3][4] In 1972, Ellis argued that the Vegan Society was gaining popularity, commenting that "we have 1,200 members, an increase of about 700 in the last eight years".[5] He wrote articles for The Vegan magazine.[6]
In 1976, Ellis appeared in the Open Door TV series in the episode "The Vegan Society: To a Brighter Future".[7] In the episode, Ellis argued that vegans have lower blood cholesterol than meat-eaters.[8]
Legacy
Ellis has been cited as a pioneering scientist in the field of vegan nutrition.[9] Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina have described Ellis as a "gentle man worked to show the scientific world that a vegan diet could be nutritionally adequate".[3]
In 1979, the Vegan Society established the Dr. Frey Ellis Research Fund in his memory.[10] Freya Dinshah has cited Ellis as an influence on her parents and sister who became vegan.[11]
Selected publications
- Ellis, F. R.; Mumford, P. (1967). "The Nutritional Status of Vegans and Vegetarians". Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 26 (2): 205–212. doi:10.1079/PNS19670038. PMID 5585938.
- Ellis, Frey R.; Montegriffo, V.M.E. (1970). "Veganism, Clinical Findings and Investigations". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 23 (3): 249–255. doi:10.1093/ajcn/23.3.249. PMID 5436632.
- Vegan Nutrition. The Vegan Society. 1981. (with T. A. B. Sanders)[12]