Euell Gibbons
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| Euell Theophilus Gibbons | |
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| Born | September 8, 1911 Clarksville, Texas |
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| Died | December 29, 1975 (aged 64) |
| Cause of death | Marfan syndrome |
Euell Theophilus Gibbons (September 8, 1911 – December 29, 1975) was an outdoorsman and proponent of natural diets, famous during the 1960s.
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[edit] Biography
Gibbons was born in Clarksville, Texas, and spent much of his youth in the hilly terrain of New Mexico during the dust bowl era. His mother taught him about foods available in the wild. As an adult he spent time in several states working a variety of jobs. During a stay in Hawaii from 1947 to 1951, he met Freda Fryer, and the two were married. Throughout his travels, his interest in wild foods continued, and he experimented with new recipes and consulted experts.
Although Gibbons longed to be a writer, he had difficulty getting published. However, capitalizing on the growing return-to-nature movement in 1962, his first book, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, became an instant success. From the cover blurb:
- A delightful book on the recognition, gathering, preparation and use of the natural health foods that grow wild all about us. The lore here can turn every field, forest, swamp, vacant lot and roadside into a health-food market with free merchandise.
Gibbons then produced the cookbooks Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop in 1964 and Stalking the Healthful Herbs in 1966. He was widely published in various magazines including two stories he wrote for National Geographic Magazine. The first article, in the July 1972 issue, described a two-week stay on an uninhabited island off the coast of Maine where Gibbons along with his wife Freda and a few family friends relied solely on the island's resources for sustenance. The second article, which appeared in the August 1973 issue, features Gibbons, along with granddaughter Colleen and grandson Mike, stalking wild foods in four western states.
Gibbons's publishing success brought him fame. He made guest appearances on The Johnny Carson Show and the Sonny & Cher show. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Susquehanna University, even though he had only completed the equivalent of a sixth-grade education.
The Post Grape Nuts cereal advertising quote "Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible." is attributed to him (and inspired Carson to joke about sending him a "lumber-gram").
Euell died on December 29, 1975. [1] His death was the result of an elongated aorta that burst, a complication from Marfan syndrome.
[edit] Bibliography
- Stalking the Wild Asparagus (1962)
- Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop (1964)
- Stalking the Healthful Herbs (1966)
- Stalking the Good Life (1966)
- Beachcomber's Handbook (1967)
- (collected in) American Food Writing: An Anthology with Classic Recipes, ed. Molly O'Neill (Library of America, 2007) ISBN 1598530054
- Feast on a Diabetic Diet (unknown publication date)
[edit] References
- ^ "Euell Gibbons Dies at 64; Wrote Books About Natural Foods", New York Times, December 30, 1975. Retrieved on 2008-03-23. "Euell Gibbons, author of books on natural foods, was pronounced dead on arrival in Sunbury Community Hospital tonight. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. He was 64 years old."
[edit] External links
- Euell Gibbons Biography by John Kallas, Ph.D., Institute for the Study of Edible Wild Plants and Other Foragables. Article with Photograph
- Euell Gibbons Biography by John Sunder. The Handbook of Texas Online
- Euell Gibbons Post Grape Nuts television commercial, 1974.
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