Paul Chappius Bragg was a nutritionist and a pioneer in America’s wellness
movement. Biography
Born as Paul Chappius Bragg, Bragg claimed he was born in 1881 in Fairfax
County, Virginia, but genealogical research indicates he was born on
February 6, 1895 in Batesville, Indiana, where his father was Editorprinter of
the "Batesville Democratic Herald" newspaper. Bragg was probably named
after his father's younger brother, Paul L. Bragg.
Bragg grew up in Washington, D.C. with his parents, Robert Elton Bragg, who had
procured a U.S. Civil Service position there, and Caroline Bragg. He had two
brothers, James Elton and John Harrison Bragg. His father was employed by the
U.S. Printing Office.. However, in the 1972 Edition of the Bragg Apple Cider
Vinegar System booklet, at page 12, and in later editions, Bragg claimed both
that his father was "a splendid farmer" and that "I am the oldest of 16
children". At some point, Bragg enlisted with the
Washington D.C. National Guard for "three Years", as is shown on his 1917
Draft Registration, which he filed with the Indianapolis, Indiana draft board
that year. Although Paul Bragg had claimed
participation in both the 1908 and 1912 Olympics as a member of the U.S.
Wrestling Team, the "Encyclopedia of American Wrestling" does not show any
such person as a member in either year. In 1915 Bragg married Neva Parnin at the
Chapel of St. Barnabas in New York City. They moved to Indianapolis, where Bragg
became an agent with The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
Several years later, Bragg returned to the East Coast and was employed by
various YMCAs & school districts in physical or athletic director
capacities, his last known position before moving to California being
football coach for the 1920 season at Connersville High School, Connersville,
PA.. In 1921 Bragg and his family, now also
including two young daughters, Neva Pauline/Polly and Lorraine Agnes Bragg,
came to California, where Paul was again employed by the YMCA. Son, Robert Elton,
was born in Los Angeles County on March 25, 1922. It is unknown how long Bragg
stayed with the Los Angeles "Y", but in 1922 he was in charge of the Physical
Education Department at San Luis Obispo [CA] High School, and in 1924 he was a
physical education teacher at Redondo Union High School, Redondo Beach,
CA.("Calling All Grads of Class of 1924", Van Nuys Valley News, March 31,
1974.) Circa 1926, Paul Bragg apparently left
paid employment and became an entrepreneur in the health field, first
by opening an establishment on N. 7th Street, Los Angeles, called "Health
Center of Los Angeles" and then, in 1928, "Bragg Health Center" on South
Hill Street, Los Angeles. Likely to publicize these businesses, he also
wrote a weekly health column in The Los Angeles Times from 1926 to 1928 which he
sometimes called "Newslets" and other times "Health Notes". The health
services that business endeavors offered are described in the advertorials and
columns. In 1930 Bragg was sued in Federal
Court/San Francisco by St. Louis Estes, a Los Angeles-area raw food health
lecturer/manufacturer [See Estes Wikipedia page], charging infringement
of copyright in that "A 1929 publication of Bragg is a rearrangement of material
in an earlier book on raw food written by Estes.". It is currently unknown the
outcome of this lawsuit. = Lecturing =
1929 was the beginning of Paul Bragg's health lecture tours where he went to
various American cities, rented a facility, advertised heavily, then gave
a series of lectures—usually over a period of five or six consecutive
evenings. His lectures were free, but he did charge a fee for post-lecture
private consultation.. 1929 was also the copyright year of the
first health book attributed to Paul Bragg as author, "Cure Yourself". Since
book stores or book departments in retail stores in that era were usually
only accessible in the more highly populated areas, another purpose of
Bragg's lecture tours was most likely to promote and sell his books.
= Divorce = During the Braggs' first decade in
California, Paul & Neva Bragg divorced, and in the 1930 U.S. Census, Neva & her
new husband, August Busch, were shown living with the three Bragg children in
Los Angeles, CA. The Florida Marriage Index documents the
marriage of "Paul C. Bragg" and "Betty Brownlee" on 17 Feb. 1930 in Clearwater,
Pinellas County, Florida. On their Application for Marriage, Miss Brownlee
gave her occupation as Advance Manager for the Bragg lectures, and Bragg stated
his age as "49", his residence as "1109 N. Hudson, Hollywood, Cal.", & his
birthplace as "Pinkle, Virginia" on the same form. However, the following year,
Gertrude Elizabeth Bragg filed for divorce against Paul C. Bragg in Los
Angeles County Superior Court, which Divorce Decree was granted in January
1932. There is currently no indication that Paul Bragg ever remarried.
There is no record of Paul Bragg being counted in the 1930 U.S. Census,
although Burbank, CA city directories of the time reflect his residence in that
city from 1935 to 1954, and that his food manufacturing company, Live Food
Products, Inc., was also located there during that period. Subsequently he
relocated to Desert Hot Springs, CA, and later in the 1960s, at least part-time,
to Hawaii. = Death =
Bragg was reported to have died of a heart attack in the emergency room of
South Shore Hospital in Miami, Florida on December 7, 1976. He was undergoing
treatment after suffering serious injuries from a surfing accident in late
November, and suffered pneumonia and stroke while going in hospital. He was
cremated with full state honors. Education
Although Bragg claimed advanced scientific degrees in newspaper and
magazine interviews—including, but not limited to, his 1975 People article—it
is unknown if these claims are accurate. The most recently released 1940 Federal
Census, showing him living on National Avenue in Burbank, California, gives his
age as "45" and the highest attained academic grade for him as "H1", which
would be only one year of high school. On October 8, 1914, Washington, D.C.'s
Evening Star newspaper reported that Paul C. Bragg was appointed to the
student staff of The Balance Sheet, a newly-planned newspaper of that city's
"Business High School", as its "Athletic Editor". Currently, no books authored by
Bragg refer to any specific educational accomplishments, but a 1977 publication
he co-authored with Patricia Bragg, titled The Shocking Truth about Water,
appends the titles of N.D. and Ph.D. behind his name.
Legacy Bragg advocated using deep breathing,
water fasts, organic foods, drinking distilled water, juicing, exercise,
listening to one's body, and many other techniques as methods of prolonging life
span. Until he died at a believed age of 95, but as we read above, at a much more
likely legal age of 81, Paul stated that every human being could, at least in
theory, live to 120 by following his regimens.
Patricia Bragg, Paul's former daughter-in-law, according to official
records, has since taken over Bragg's health empire, having previously married
Bragg's son, Robert Elton Bragg. She has stated that she was legally adopted by
Paul. Bragg was the inspiration and personal
health and fitness adviser to top Olympic stars from three-time swimming
Gold Medalist Murray Rose to four-time track Gold Medalist Betty Cuthbert of
Australia, his relative Don Bragg, and others. Jack LaLanne, the original TV
Fitness King said that "Bragg saved my life at age 15 when I attended the Bragg
Crusade in Oakland, California". Paul Bragg also wrote many successful
books, such as The Miracle of Fasting and Live Food Cook Book and Menus.
References External links
Bragg.com, Paul and Patricia Bragg's website
People Magazine, 1975 article about Paul Bragg