This collection is organized into four series.

(1) PERSONAL PAPERS. 1893 1944, undated 2.1 cu. ft. Contained in this series is John Harvey Kellogg's life long correspondence with the Seventh Day Adventist Church and a family album scrapbook. (2) BUSINESS PAPERS. 1876 1959, undated 3.9 cu. ft., 132 vols. Contained in this series is the bulk of the material. It covers a myriad of business, educational, and charitable ventures. Developed within the series is the continuum of businesses started by Kellogg, comprising the Sanitas Nut Food Company, the Kellogg Food Company, and finally the Battle Creek Food Company. Additionally, it contains the records of the subsidiaries of the Battle Creek Food Company including Battle Creek College. The Battle Creek College records are notable because of the litigation involving the estate of Mrs. Mary F. Henderson, who left a large sum of money and land to the college to help prevent bankruptcy and closure of the school. The records of the farm land in Missouri are also valuable as a source for presenting the hardships of agricultural life during the depression through World War II. The final segment of the business papers contain the court records of Kellogg vs. Kellogg. They deal with the suit in which William sued John Harvey over the use of the family name in business.

The arrangement of subseries: Food Experiments -- 1898 1909, undated Copyright Papers Kellogg -- 1876 1902 Patent Papers -- 1886 1911, undated Sanitas Nut Food Company -- 1896 1908, undated Battle Creek Sanitarium Food Company -- 1903 1941, n.d. Kellogg Toasted Rice Flake Company -- 1907 1910 Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company -- 1907 1940 Colax Company -- 1907 1908 Yogurt Company -- 1907 1908 Battle Creek Cereal Coffee Company -- 1906 1921, undated Kellogg Food Company -- 1908 1919, n.d. Battle Creek Food Company, 1917 1950 Subsidiaries -- 1898 1946 Henderson Estate -- 1924 1959 Kellogg vs. Kellogg Volumes. [1896 1948] -- 1907 1922, undated

(3) OVERSIZE MATERIALS. Contained in this series is oversized maps and clippings. (4) MICROFILMS. 1893 1944, undated 2.1 cu. ft. Microfilm copies of selected portions of this collection exist.