James L. Kraft

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Lore & Background

James L. Kraft was born on December 11, 1874, near Stevensville, Ontario, to Mennonite parents Minerva Alice Tripp and George Franklin Krafft, a farmer of German descent. He was the second of eleven children. After working at Ferguson's General store in Fort Erie from 1901 to 1902, Kraft immigrated to Buffalo, New York, in 1902, taking a position as secretary and treasurer of the Shefford Cheese Company. He became a partner the following year, but his partners abruptly dissolved the agreement while he was on a business trip to Chicago. Stranded, Kraft used his remaining $65 to rent a horse and wagon and established a wholesale cheese business. A year later, he wrote to a friend: "I haven't got a comparatively large business now, but I know what I can do and in less than five years I am honest in saying I expect to have one of the best wholesale cheese businesses in this City." In 1907, according to company tradition, he decided to "make God a partner" in his business; as business improved, he brought his brothers Charles Herbert, Frederick, Norman, and John Henry into the company. In 1914, J.L. Kraft & Bros. Company opened its first cheese manufacturing plant in Stockton, Illinois. Kraft developed a process, patented in 1916, for pasteurizing cheese so that it would resist spoiling and could be shipped long distances. The company grew quickly, expanding into Canada in 1919, and saw a large increase in business during World War I when the U.S. government provided cheese in tins to its armed forces. Kraft served as the company's president from 1909 until his death in 1953. He introduced Miracle Whip in 1933 at the Century of Progress World's Fair. Kraft was also an amateur jewelry maker who wrote a book on jewelry called Adventure in Jade and owned jade mines in Alaska and California. He was deeply involved in the North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago and a strong proponent of religious education for young people.

Reader's Guide

James L. Kraft's significance lies in his transformation of the cheese industry through innovation and entrepreneurship. By patenting a pasteurization process that allowed cheese to be shipped long distances without refrigeration, he solved a critical spoilage problem and enabled mass distribution. This innovation, combined with his founding of J.L. Kraft & Bros. Company—which evolved into Kraft Foods Inc., a multinational food conglomerate—established him as a pioneer in processed foods. His company's growth was accelerated by government contracts during World War I, and later by products like Miracle Whip. Kraft's legacy extends beyond business: his estate, Kraftwood, in Wisconsin, and his involvement in a Florida resort community reflect his personal interests. The Kraft family farm in Stevensville, Ontario, still exists, and his birthplace, the Kraft House, was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2003. His company's eventual succession by Mondelez International underscores the lasting impact of his work on the global food industry.

Did You Know?

• Kraft's last name was originally spelled with two f's (Krafft), but he removed one f when he began the company.
• After his partners dissolved their agreement while he was in Chicago, Kraft used his remaining $65 to rent a horse and wagon and start his own cheese business.
• Kraft wrote a book on jewelry called Adventure in Jade and owned jade mines in Alaska and California.
• The Kraft family farm at Bowen Road and Winger Road in Stevensville, Ontario, still exists and remains agricultural.
• Kraft's birthplace, the Kraft House at 3347 Bowen Road in Fort Erie, was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2003.