McCollum, Elmer Verner (1879-1967), was an American biochemist known for his work on the influence of diet on health. He pioneered in the study of vitamins and minerals by experimenting with the diets of small animals. McCollum discovered or helped discover a number of vitamins and originated the letter system of naming vitamins. He showed that vitamin D—a previously unknown vitamin—prevents rickets, a bone disease. McCollum’s book The Newer Knowledge of Nutrition (1918) influenced a generation of dietitians.
McCollum was born near Fort Scott, Kansas, and studied at Yale University. He was a professor of agricultural chemistry at the University of Wisconsin and a professor of biochemistry at Johns Hopkins University.
