Thursday, July 18, 2013

Growing Up Strong on PET Milk??? The Fultz Quadruplets


While on Facebook a couple of days ago I came across the cutest picture ever in the status update of one of the many vintage pages I follow. It was a photo of 4 adorable African American babies in the 1940s. The caption read :

 The Fultz Quadruplets, the first quads to ever survive in the south.



After researching I found information to dispute the fact that they were the first surviving southern quads, I did find that they are the first ever African American quads on record to survive until adulthood.

I was immediately interested.

 Back in the 40s  there were no fertility drugs and in the South, most blacks were poor and on the verge of being malnourished, so the fact that the first surviving quads were in the south is amazing! I began to look up their story. Googling it, I found that most information on them came from sites that give information of the importance of breast feeding and specifically the importance of breast feeding in the black community...

The story goes:

Annie Mae Fultz was 37 years old and pregnant. She was the wife of a poor tenant farmer in North Carolina. During her pregnancy she had grown bigger than what was presumed "normal" (her x-rays presumed triplets) and went into town 3 weeks early to have her baby. You see, Annie, her husband (Pete) and their other children lived on a farm outside of town, and with Annie also being deaf and mute, no chances wanted to be taken with her already high risk pregnancy.

The Fultz Quadruplets were born May 23, 1946 at 3 pounds each. The doctor who delivered the children, Fred Klenner,  was a family doctor in a small southern town. He didn't have any of the supplies we have today that are needed when the birth of multiples are involved. There was no incubator so he had to wrap them in cotton gauze blankets and place them very close together.  And... let's not forget that it was 1946, a time of extreme  racial segregation in the South and when blacks had almost no say in even their own lives. So because of this, Klenner took it upon himself to NAME ANNIE'S BABIES!!!! (I know, right?!?!?!) He named them all Mary, followed by names from his own family: Mary Ann (for his wife), Mary Louise (his daughter), Mary Alice (his aunt) and Mary Catherine (his great aunt). The  black nurse who helped deliver the babies recalled not thinking much of it. She is quoted as saying:

"At that time, you know, it was before integration, They did us how they wanted. And these were very poor people. He was a sharecropper, Pete was, and she couldn't read or write."

It took no time at all before news of the quads spread and soon everyone wanted a piece of the the babies. At a time when baby formula companies were gaining momentum in the white community, many formula companies were looking to strengthen their presence in the black community. Most, if not all blacks were breast feeding at the time because of the simple fact that many could not afford infant formula. What better way to reel in African American business than with 4 beautiful, black baby girls. Borden and Carnation threw their hat in the ring, but in the end it was Pet that Klenner chose to let represent the girls. Klenner was awarded a contract with Pet Milk and made the girls guinea pigs for his "Vitamin C Therapy". In exchange for using the girls for promotional purposes, the Fultz's were given a nurse and medical care, food and a farm by Pet.

Fultz and one of the babies

When the girls had gained enough weight to be deemed healthy, they were set to be discharged from the hospital. The local newspaper announced their discharge with a huge photo of the girls with a caption that read:

Dr. Fred Klenner stated that visitors would be welcome at the home between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each afternoon, and that the quads could be viewed through a glass screen.

Yes, you read right. The girls were to be on display in there own home in their nursery behind a glass wall...

Throughout the years Pet Milk continued to promote their milk with the girls. They were on the covers of almost all of the black magazines at the time and almost every Pet Milk ad had them drinking Pet Milk, baking with Pet Milk and anything else that was thought to get people to buy the milk.
















 The girls grew up beautifully, which they probably would have done without the formula. But once the girls reached adulthood things started to unravel. The girls eventually had to be adopted by the nurse that Pet Milk had assigned to them. The farm they were promised turned out to be in the middle of nowhere and on land that wasn't able to grow anything. Eventually the girls were forgotten by the public and lived relatively private lives. And the most tragic of all, all of the girls except one, died of breast cancer before the age of 55. The one surviving sister, the youngest, Mary Catherine also has breast cancer. I have researched her but could find nothing stating whether she survived her cancer battle. As of 2002 she was still alive and well. Let's pray that it remains so today.


Mary Catherine looking at photos of her childhood still on display at the hospital


There has been a lot of talk about whether or not being fed Pet Milk exclusively through infancy and through a entire childhood had anything to do with the girls poor health later in life. It is said that even today breast feeding is much healthier than formula if mommy can manage it. And in the 40s I'm sure Pet Milk was not full of the vitamins and minerals of today's infant formula. I can't really see it containing many more vitamins and things babies need than regular store bought milk.  Then again cancers, especially breast, have a big genetic component. So maybe Pet Milk wasn't the cause, but I'm sure it didn't help. I'm almost positive the Pet Milk of the 40s and 50s contained little if no cancer fighting properties... I have also heard that there were a lot of tests run on them and many shots given to them so...

I'm not sure why I've never heard of the Fultz Quads before, but I'm glad I know of them now. Finding history of such stories is fascinating. Since starting my vintage journey I've found myself being more and more enthralled with history. Especially the little known history of individuals. I feel that it's my job to not only celebrate the fashion and hair of the past but the events that make our country and world, for that matter, the place that it is today.

Had you ever heard of the Fultz girls before today?

xoxo

(P.S. Sorry about the weird change in font toward the end...my computer just stopped with the normal font I was using...working on fixing it!!!! )

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30 comments:

  1. And this is why I just adore you. You can look past the amazing fashion and glamour of the times and find a way to celebrate the people who lived in them. Bravo! I never heard of them but I am so glad that I do now. Their story makes the heart ache and is a reminder of the reality of those times. xox

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    1. Thanks, hun! That's incredibly sweet of you! I really think that it's my privilege to represent and remember those who came before me. It's not all about the fashion for me, although that's a definite plus and cherry on top!!! HEHEH

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    2. I actually have a copy of the newspaper article (Chicago newspaper front page article) with the quads on the front page. I have personal and interesting information about nurse- Fannie Owsley and husband William Owsley, please contact me ASAP @ andrea-christie@hotmail.com

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  2. You do a great job with all your blog posts but this one is really very good. Definitely a topic that has been on my mind this last week in dealing with the challenges of breast feeding and the use of formula.

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    1. Thanks!! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the post! I wasn't sure if anyone would be as interested as me. When I have a child I do plan on breastfeeding, and this story just solidified my position. I know its hard and some are not able but if I'm able it's a no brainer for me. Hope your breastfeeding journey gets better!

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  3. What a wonderful post! It really is disgusting how minorities were treated like nothing more than an animal. It's great that they were able to survive and lead full lives but everyone just wanted a piece of their fame.

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  4. This post = amazing editorial work. I cringed a little bit at evaporated milk. But, if you really think about it -- that's really what whey protein powder is. Thank goodness they had the nutrition. I can barely feed one baby, let alone FOUR! If you successfully breast-feed, the mothers body would have made enough milk for all the babies. However, if she wasn't eating enough, her supply may have gone down. It's hard to say. They do recommend if you can, at least BF for the first 4 weeks.

    It's hard to say about the breast cancer. They might have been genetically predisposed to it, and then had a genetic mutation in their DNA since there was 4 babies.

    Great work. I loved all the pictures!

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    1. Breast milk supply has nothing to do with what you eat - women in famine regions can still feed their babies. It's dependent on stimulation from the baby. WHO recommendations are to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months followed by continued breastfeeding alongside solids for a minimum of 2years. Cow's milk is only an ideal foodstuff for baby cows. Formula can be a lifesaver when breastmilk is not available but the 1940s kind would have been less modified than today's products.

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  5. Wow. This is fascinating. Such beautiful girls. Such a strange life. It makes me wonder what happened to the rest of their family.

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  6. Hi!
    I really like your blog and have therefore I nominated you for the Liebster Award!
    If you're interested, you can find more info in my blog
    - Anna

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  7. This is really interesting and also full of things that horrified me. How awful that the parents did not get to name the babies or to have a say in the milk contract and that they were on display behind a screen. Thank goodness things have changed.

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  8. Really superb post, honey - so well put together, engaging, and thoughtfully written. I too had never heard of these four (once) famous babies either, but now feel like I know them like old friends thanks to your excellent look at their lives.

    Canada had it's own famous group of mid-century multiples - the Dionne Quintuplets (all girls) who were born in Ontario in 1934. They too appeared in various ads (including ones for Palmolive soap and Karo syrup) over the years. Much as with the Fultzs, (by and large) they faded out of the public eye quickly as they got older and not all of their adult lives were a bed of roses (two of the sisters are still alive to this day, at age 79).

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Thank you so much! While researching I did see information on the Dionne Quints but I didn't really read it well. I'll go back and check them out!

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  9. I have never heard of these lovely ladies. What a great and informative post! It's a shame what happened to them. I do agree, had they been breast fed initially or in conjunction with the "formula" maybe they would not have gotten breast cancer. Especially if no one else in their family (mother or other siblings). Fame, especially force fame can be detrimental. Keep up with these great posts!

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  10. Vey interesting post! It is amazing how multiples were often put on display like that. I watched a documentary once about quints that were put on display like that, and the parents allowed it because they needed the money for their care. Can you imagine that kind of life though! So sad that the Mama and Papa did not have any say in their life...not getting to name their own children, insane!!

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  11. what an interesting post ... i never heard of this ladies before and i never heard about pet milk bwefore ...
    it really brought tears in my eyes reading that 3 of 4 sisters died of cancer. hopefully the last one is doing well.
    thanks for sharing.

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  12. Yes. I've heard of them. In fact, they're my grandfather's first cousins. I've been researching my family history for three years and found that their father was my grandfather's uncle. Their story is inspiring and interesting. Thank you for recognizing these ladies.

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  13. I read this whole THING!! WOWO!! I pray she is alive and well. The story is so so sad. I wish a movie would be made about these girls! They were beautiful too!

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  14. I saw a picture of the girls meeting President Kennedy in 1962. The girls are each wearing a yellow dress. You need to check it out. You'll love their outfits.

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  15. Nicely written, I have a farm in the area it is still a grossly impoverished area and "back in the day" if you had "not enough milk or issues with breast feeding" as that many babies would be you would have made your own formula from evaporated milk. There was no choice in breastfeeding until formula was debuted! A sad milestone! I also can say......I personally believe they MUST share the genetic link for breast CA, also sad...and Mom was also Deaf/Mute, had 6 other children when these ladies came along....a sharecropper....we had a sharecropper house on our property....it had 3 rooms no electric and just a well...that was in the 70's! I can hardly begin to imagine 10 kids in one of these homes. WOW

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  16. I just came across your blog, geat information, thanks for posting.

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  17. I went to school with one of the daughters quads daughters. She is beautiful just like them. we graduated together from lower richland high school in hopkins sc

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    1. The one remaining quad, do you know if she's still alive today? Are there any of her other siblings alive as well. A true tragedy that the other 3 died before the age of 55.

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  18. I well remember the Fultz babies, I was about six when they were born.The Ebony cover & Pet milk ads are stuck in my mind.
    I also well remember the Dionne quintuplets from the Canada area, I think 2 are still alive.
    Sadly neither group had long successful lives.
    You did a great job on your research. Keep up the good work.
    Sincerely, Iretta Terri Diaz

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  19. I remember conversations about them when I was a child. Jet and Ebony was not thrown away back in the day and I remember reading about them as well.
    You did a beautiful Job here. Thank you, it is nice to know what happened to them, sad as it might be.

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  20. Beautiful babies! I would like to have seen pictures of the parents... If the name giver had so much control, could he have fathered these babies? In the picture with him holding one of the babies there is a remarkable resemblance. Considering the sad circumstances they were in, they were fortunate to've received the Pet Milk support. Pet and Carnation milk with Karo syrup was the breast substitute formula of the day!

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  21. I was fortunate enough to start reading Jet magazines as soon as I was old enough to read and I remember reading about them there for the first time when they did a follow up article on them in the 70's.

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  22. I was just made of aware of the Fultz quads which peeked my interest to learn more about the girls, their parents and 6 other siblings. Unfortunately, it appears that their lives were not very well documented considering they were African-Americans. One of the articles I read indicated their birth was considered "colored news." I even checked Wikipedia which was just ONE paragraph in a listing of multiple births by year. I also stumbled across "death notices" for James (Pete) Fultz (father) died April 1977 and Annie Mae Troxler (mother) died September 1989. However, there was no mention of the other 6 siblings.

    I wish there was a way to have more info written in Wikipedia as this should be documented further for others to read their story.

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  23. I just came across your blog and was truly excited to read the history of the Fultz Quads. Your research and editorial writing are outstanding. This article resonated so much with me because I met the Quads when I enrolled as a Freshman at Bethune-Cookman College (University) in Daytona Beach, FL. Mary Catherine was my roommate in Meigs Hall from 1966-1967 and also Mary Alice. I always wondered what happened to them. I hope Mary Catherine is a breast cancer survivor. Thanks for Sharing.

    Queen Nandi



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