The Life Extension Institute was an organization formed in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in 1913 with the philanthropic goal of prolonging human life through hygiene and disease prevention.
Its organizational officers included many celebrity-philanthropists such as
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
,
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...
, and
Mabel Thorp Boardman but also genuine medical experts including
William James Mayo,
Russell Henry Chittenden, and
J. H. Kellogg and a "Hygiene Reference Board" of dozens of nationally recognized physicians of that era such as Mazÿck Porcher Ravenel and
Major General William Crawford Gorgas.
Activities
A major project of the institute which fulfilled its mission to disseminate knowledge was publication of the book ''How to Live, Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science'',
now in the
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
.
The institute was a proponent of
eugenics
Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
including sterilization of grossly "unfit" individuals:
See also
*
Longevity escape velocity
In the life extension movement, longevity escape velocity (LEV), actuarial escape velocity or biological escape velocity is a hypothetical situation in which one's remaining life expectancy (not ''life expectancy at birth'') is extended longer t ...
References
External links
Liposomal NMN
Life extension
Public health education
Alexander Graham Bell
1913 establishments in the United States
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