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The Life Extension Institute was an organization formed in the United States in 1913 with the philanthropic goal of prolonging human life through hygiene and disease prevention. It was through the hard work and persistence of Harold Alexander Ley and the interest of economist Irving Fisher that it came to life.

History

Early Years

Its organizational officers included many celebrity-philanthropists such as former PresidentWilliam Howard Taft, Alexander Graham Bell, 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.

The Institute’s original stationery specified its mission “to serve humanity by disseminating and applying knowledge of the science of disease prevention; to provide periodical health examinations by experts that disease may be detected in its incipiency. Devised especially to serve insurance companies, businesses and other organizations including individual applicants.” 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.

Dr. Harry Johnson Years

Dr. Harry Johnson was named Medical Director of the Life Extension Institute in 1937 and guided the affairs of the Institute for the next four decades. He was a frequent speaker on such health issues as the importance of exercise and its relationship to obesity and the author of "Invitation to Health, a Guide to Successful Living," (1944), "The Life Extension Institute Guide to Better Health," (1959), "Your Health Is Your Business," (1965) "A Life Extension Institute Report on Alcohol, Sex and Health" (1974) a survey of 6,000 American business executives.. Johnson also added over 200 corporate clients to the group of industrial firms sending their employees to the Institute for physical examinations.

Life Extension Institute was sold to the Donnelly Division of Dunn & Bradstreet in 1969 and Dr. John McCann was named Medical Director with a mission to expand Life Extension Insitute geographically. Prior to joining the Institute, McCann was a US Air Force Deputy Surgeon and an early practitioner of aviation medicine, what is today thought of as preventive medicine. By 1976 McCann had 900 associated physicians throughout the US and Canada and the Institute performed 40,000 health examinations.

Control Data Corporation Years

In 1978, William Norris (CEO) of Control Data Corporation, purchased Life Extension Institute from Dun & Bradstreet. Norris stated that the health care system was “illness oriented” and believed there was a business opportunity to focus on wellness in the workplace. He used the extensive computer capabilities of Control Data and the medical expertise of Life Extension Institute to develop the StayWell program Control Data offered to its employees. In the 1980’s, Control Data began a financial decline that resulted on the default of a $300 Million loan in 1985. Life Extension was again put up for sale.

UM Holdings Years

After a short ownership by the Prospect Group, a New York investment firm, Life Extension Institute was purchased by its current owner, UM Holdings Ltd (formerly United Medical Corporation) in 1989. In 1995 UM Holdings purchased Life Extension’s competitor, Executive Health Group, and changed the name of the joint company to Executive Health Examiners. In 2005 Executive Health Examiners changes its name to EHE International in 2005. EHE is headquartered in Rockefeller Center and has over 100 affiliates nationwide who perform physical examinations for its clients.

See also

• Life extension

References

Category:Public health education Category:Life extension Category:1913 establishments in the United States Category:Alexander Graham Bell