Frey Ellis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Frey Richard Ellis (1918-09-22)22 September 1918 |
| Died | 11 August 1978(1978-08-11) (aged 59) |
| Occupation | Haematologist |
| Spouse | |
Frey Richard Ellis (22 September 1918 – 11 August 1978) was a British consultanthaematologist at Kingston Hospital, best known for his research onvegan nutrition. He was president ofThe Vegan Society from 1964 to 1978.
Ellis qualified fromKing's College London in 1943.[1] He joined theRAMC and served in Italy until 1946. He was assistant pathologist at theLondon Clinic until 1949 and at theHospital of St John and St Elizabeth.[1] He obtained his MD in 1953 and joined the group laboratory atKingston Hospital. In 1965, he was appointed consultant haematologist.[1] Ellis was a vegan and took interest in nutrition.[1] He was a scientific advisor to theHumane Research Trust andRSPCA.[1]
Ellis became a committee member and vice-president of the Vegan Society in 1961 and was its president from 1964 until his death in 1978.[2][3][4] In 1972, Ellis argued that the Vegan Society was gaining popularity, commenting that "we have 1,200 members, an increase of about 700 in the last eight years".[5] He wrote articles forThe Vegan magazine.[6]
In 1976, Ellis appeared in theOpen Door TV series in the episode "The Vegan Society: To a Brighter Future".[7] In the episode, Ellis argued that vegans have lower blood cholesterol than meat-eaters.[8]
Ellis has been cited as a pioneering scientist in the field of vegan nutrition.[9]Brenda Davis andVesanto Melina have described Ellis as a "gentle man worked to show the scientific world that a vegan diet could be nutritionally adequate".[3]
In 1979, the Vegan Society established the Dr. Frey Ellis Research Fund in his memory.[10]Freya Dinshah has cited Ellis as an influence on her parents and sister who became vegan.[11]