William H. Danforth (September 10, 1870 – December 24, 1955) was an American businessman known for founding

Ralston Purina Ralston Purina Company was a St. Louis, Missouri,–based American conglomerate with substantial holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. On December 12, 2001, it merged with Swiss food-giant Nestlé's ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

in 1894. He was a co-founder of the American Youth Foundation (AYF) and the author of the book, ''I Dare You!''.

Early life and education

Danforth was raised in

Charleston, Missouri Charleston is a city in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,056 at the 2020 census, a decrease from 5,947 in 2010. It is the county seat of Mississippi County and since 1968 has been home to the annual Dogwood-Azale ...

. He graduated from

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

Career

Ralston's checkerboard logo evolved from a personal development concept Danforth put forth in his book ''I Dare You!'' (1931), in which he used a checkerboard to explain it. Danforth proposed that four key components in life need to be in balance. In the illustration, "Physical" was on the left, "Mental" on top, "Social" on right and "Religious" on the bottom. To be healthy, you needed the four squares to stay in balance and one area was not to develop at expense of the other. The concept became intertwined with the company in 1921 when it began selling feed that was pressed in cubes called "checkers." The ''Christian Science Monitor'' named ''I Dare You!'' as one of the top 10 self-help books of all time. Through the

Danforth Foundation The Danforth Foundation was one of the largest private nonprofit foundations in the St. Louis Metropolitan region. It closed its doors in 2011 after 84 years of operation and more than a billion dollars in grants distributed. Background Establishe ...

, he subsidized the construction of 24

Danforth Chapels The Danforth Chapel Program was funded by the Danforth Foundation, an organization created in 1927 by William H. Danforth, founder of the Ralston Purina, Ralston Purina Company, and his wife. The Danforth Foundation focused on national education phi ...

on college campuses around the United States, and one in Japan.Danforth Chapel Origins
''

East Valley Tribune The ''East Valley Tribune'' is a newspaper concentrated on cities within the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix, including Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek. Formerly a daily newspaper, the ''Tribune'' resulted fro ...

'' Oct 19, 2007, retrieved July 8, 2011

Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. It was integrated from as early as 1866 ...

, which Danforth attended, has one of them. It is part of the Draper Building. The outer wall contains stones from Danforth's personal collection, obtained from various locations of historic importance.

Personal life

Danforth's son was Donald Danforth, a former chief executive of the company. His grandsons include former U.S. Senator

John Danforth John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is an American politician, attorney, diplomat, and Episcopal priest who served as the Attorney General of Missouri from 1969 to 1976 and as a United States Senator from 1976 to 1995. A member of the ...

and former Washington University chancellor William "Bill" H. Danforth.

Notes

External links

Purina profile of DanforthWilliam Danforth Quotes
* American food company founders American food industry business executives Ralston Purina 1870 births 1955 deaths Businesspeople from St. Louis People from Charleston, Missouri Washington University in St. Louis alumni Berea College alumni 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople Phi Delta Theta members {{Missouri-stub