Research Paper

Ashley Aguilar

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 7

January 29, 2023

James L. Kraft

Cheese is loved by many people all over the world, and it has a way of making things taste better. There are many different ways to enjoy cheese, whether you are putting it on top of your food or if you are just eating it by itself. Unfortunately the lastingness of cheese hasn't been the same throughout the years. Imagine buying cheese and having it expire within the next week. You would constantly be buying more cheese, wasting money, and wasting time. Thanks to James Kraft we don't have to worry about that. He was determined to find a way to make cheese last longer. After years of testing things out, James Kraft was known as the first person to sterilize cheese. He was able to ship cheese all around the world without it going bad. Although James Kraft didn't invent cheese, he had the best cheese on the market,pasteurized it, and managed to extend his business over the years.

Early Life

James L. Kraft came from a very large family.  He was born in Ontario, Canada on December 11, 1874. on a dairy farm (James Lewis Kraft (1874-1953). He lived with his father and his mother, George and Minerva along with his 10 siblings. James Kraft had three sisters and seven brothers.  His sisters were Sarah Anna, Ivy Mae, and Florence. His brothers were William, George Franklin, Charles Herbert , Robert Harvey, Frederick, Norman, and John Henry (Dowling). James Kraft was the second oldest of all of his siblings. Not much is known about his education but people in the late 1800´s went to a one room schoolhouse from kindergarten to the eighth grade. After that James Kraft would work at the farm and learn more about the family business. Which one can assume is why he got into the cheese business. 

Beginning of Career

At the age of 29 James Kraft moved to Chicago, Illinois where he went to work for the Buffalo Cheese company. While he was out representing the company, he found out that they took his shares. ¨Not to be embittered¨ he got some money , bought a horse and wagon and started his own business.(How Cheese Made James L. Kraft Rich and Famous)  He had to learn to work by himself and how to make cheese have a longer shelf life. In 1909 James Kraft started working with his brothers in the cheese business. In 1915 he learned how to prevent his cheese from spoiling fast by only cooking it until it was ¨sterile¨. Before James Kraft figured out how to make long lasting cheese, cheese was cooked until the protein and fat had been split up.(Mink)  Then he had to start advertising his business. He used print ads to advertise his company because it was the most efficient way to promote businesses in the early 1900´s. (Wolczko) Not much is known why James Kraft started his business but it is best inferred that his father was the one who probably influenced him because his father owned a dairy farm. His father made sales from his dairy farm and that is how he provided for his family.

Significant Accomplishments

James Kraft received his fame for being the first person to sterilize cheese. It took him multiple times to perfect his cheese recipe before he could start selling them. When James Kraft first started selling cheese he put them in tin cans with a kraft label on it.(Wolczko) He really did change the world because without him sterilizing cheese, cheese would contain bacteria. In 1909 a couple of his brothers joined him in his business.(James Lewis Kraft 1874-1953)  During World War 1 business was booming for the Kraft brothers because they had received large orders from the government. After the war ended on November 11, 1918 James Kraft was trusted with exploring and developing new cheese products to transport the remaining cheese that was left at the end of the war.(Wolczko) In the summer of 1916 he accepted a patent for the process of sterilizing cheese and improved the product produced by such process.¨ The Kraft company grew so much that they started expanding to Canada in 1919.(James Lewis Kraft 1874-1953) James Kraft allowed his company to be one of North America´s top leading food producers by creating new products for his company to sell. Such as salad dressings, macaroni, and margarine. (How Cheese Made James L. Kraft Rich and Famous) During this time period he also created a major television program from 1947 to 1958, called ¨Kraft Television Theatre¨. According to further research due to his religious beliefs he had  great support from the Baptist church. In fact, a majority of his earnings were donated to a variety of youth religious organizations.(James Lewis Kraft 1874-1953) Although his discoveries were ahead of its time it still raised an important question ¨How healthy is it for us as a society to consume this heavily processed product?¨.

Lessons Learned From Their Life 

Looking back at all my research I can conclude that Jmaes Lewis Kraft was a man with good intentions towards a rising issue. Kraft decided to take a chance and start a company all by himself with almost no money, but the $65 in his pocket. Though his business did start with only himself, as time progressed his brothers also joined his team. James L. Kraft helped hundreds if not thousands of people from the span of 1909 to the year of his death in 1953. Even after his death, his legacy lived on through all of his creations. Furthermore his legacy also thrived due to the inspiration he gave to others. In our current society we have not only Kraft, but as well as many other alternative options. He was a very courageous man that wasn't afraid to work by himself. He didn't give up and followed his dreams. James Kraft taught me that I can follow my dreams and that I can be successful. He inspired me to never give up on my dreams and have a positive impact on the world. It's my dream to be as successful as him and give back to the community like he did.