Basketball and Breakfast How playing basketball led us to Cereal City, USA

Since I was very young my parents told me how we used to work at Kelloggs, but I never knew how we got there. It wasn’t until I interviewed my grandpa that I realized how we came from a small town to the big city from an unconventional way of moving in the mid 1900s. Thesis: Beginning in a small town in Kansas, my ancestors came north and eventually worked their way through the ranks at Kelloggs. If Kelloggs wasn’t there, I would still be a farmer in Kansas.

Dinsmoor house in Lucas Claude Dinsmoor Born in Lucas Kansas Small town Many Dinsmoors 4 Brothers Enjoyed to play basketball Dinsmoor house in Lucas

A few fun facts about Lucas… Home of the Garden of Eden, made by SP Dinsmoor. A national historic landmark It is an entire house made on concrete. Including concrete sculptures Current population is 436 people 15 Dinsmoors have died in Lucas

The Great Migration Came up with his 4 brothers from Kansas to play basketball for WK Kellogg professionally in Battle Creek, MI Claude played basketball and baseball for WK for a total of 14 years Became an apprentice at Kelloggs because you must be an apprentice to play sports

The Great Migration (cont.) Total of 4 apprenticeships Machinist Tool and die Brothers left after their basketball careers were over Claude stayed in Battle Creek

Charlie Dinsmoor Son of Claude Started working at Kelloggs during high school Joined air force during war, and stayed some time after After retiring from Air Force, worked at Kelloggs for 33 years

Involvement with Kelloggs The Dinsmoor family has worked at Kelloggs for a combined total of over 100 years working there 3 generations of Dinsmoors, and more than 10 family members have worked there over the years Most recent, is my dad who worked there in high school

Claude Dinsmoor (Living) Son of Charlie Worked at Kelloggs during early high school Found work at museum Kingman Museum Natural History Kingman Museum

Claude Dinsmoor (Living) (cont.) Had to pay for college on own Full ride scholarship to Oakland University

A different look at the box When I was young, and eating a box of raisin bran cereal, my dad would tell me how he used to scoop the two scoops into each box He would always try to be perfect with those two scoops, because he knew that putting too many or too little raisins in a box would make even himself upset. Sometimes the raisins would stick, making his job harder to do. This taught me to always do my best, even when doing it may require extra work on my part. And if I do my best I will get the perfect cereal box.

Painting of1970’s box… Groovy The Heirloom of Sorts Choose Raisin Bran box because it was the story about Kelloggs I remember from my childhood. And at my age, this was what my dad’s job was to make. Painting of1970’s box… Groovy

How it all worked out Parents met at Oakland University, in the engineering school My father went there on a scholarship and my mother went there because it was close Both got almost identical degrees (electrical engineers) and looked for jobs together Went to grad school together at University of Virginia Applied at Texas Instruments Jobs at multiple locations Both in Texas Applied at IBM Applied (and worked/works at) Fanuc Robotics

How it all worked out (cont.) Choose Michigan to live in Liked people Could choose many places England Texas Virginia North Carolina Today my father still works at Fanuc, and my mom now works at Oakland University. They are very happy together even though they broke two family traditions of working in the cereal/auto industries.