PART I: Who Was Dr. Herbert M. Shelton?
A Dr. Herbert M. Shelton TimeLine
Taken from the Hygienic Review & Written by Dr. Shelton...
But first some choice morsels and tid-bits, made more so because they were not uttered by Natural Hygienists. If it were not for the Natural Hygiene Pioneers of the 19th century, the world would have echoed long ago the words that Nehru uttered at the death of Ghandi: "The light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere." It was the persistence of the Natural Hygiene Pioneers of the 19th century to whom I am always referring and giving the credit it was their persistence to be heard by the public at large that these stalwarts of Natural Hygiene have left their footprints on the sands of time. In the words of Calvin Coolidge: "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence! Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. (No government has pinned a medal on Doc Shelton yet!) Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent all-powerful! The slogan 'Press on regardless!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Dear GetWell Friends This "TimeLine" will give you an overview appreciation for what Dr. Shelton went through to bring Natural Hygiene to The People, to you, and to me. And it will give you enough biographical sketches so that you can appreciate his personality, his genius, and his driving determination and powerful persistence, as well. Like with T.C. Fry, sacrifices were made by Dr. Shelton on his time and energy. He did not give his family the quality time they needed, nor did he give it to himself. Like T.C., he responded to his calling with all he had; and he did not take the time for Rest and Sleep he so dearly needed. I have taken much of this "TimeLine" from Jean Oswald's now out-of-print biography of Dr. Shelton, Yours for Health The Life & Times of Herbert M. Shelton. Like T.C. signed off his letters, "Yours for a Compassionate, Caring, Happy & Healthy World," Dr. Shelton signed off more simply with: "Yours for Health," thus the title of Jean's book. I am sure that most of you have this book; for I remember selling hundreds to GetWell Friends when it first came out, back when I used to do mailings to thousands.
NOW, Here is some really exciting news! Jean and her husband have been working for years on a professionally prepared video of Dr. Shelton's life! It is almost done! I expect they will make the biography reprint available at that time, too. I will be sure to tell you when it is ready. In addition to Jean's book as a reference to this "TimeLine," I have also consulted my own memory banks and those of Dr. Vetrano's. So here we go! Take a ride with Dr. Shelton, from beginning to end!
October 6th, 1985 Herbert Macgolfin Shelton, son of Thomas Mitchell Shelton and Mary Frances Gutherie Shelton, is born during a wild Texas thunderstorm in Wylie. He is 2 months premature, weighs less that 3 pounds, and is kept warm in a wooden cigar box, near an iron stove, in a ramshackle farm house. Young Herbert grows up with devoted Christian parents who will raise him with much church attending,
