Clifford Clinton

Clifford E. Clinton (August 3, 1900 – November 20, 1969) was a California restaurateur who founded Meals for Millions, one of two parent organizations of Freedom from Hunger, in 1946. Clifford E. Clinton was also owner of a cafeteria-style restaurant chain named Clifton's.

Food charity In 1944, Clinton asked Henry Borsook, a Caltech biochemist, to develop a food supplement that would provide proper nutritional values while costing no more than five cents per meal. Clinton offered $5,000 of his own money to finance the research. In less than one year, Borsook and Mme. Soulange Berzceller, a skilled French cook, together developed Multi-Purpose Food (MPF), a high-protein food supplement that could be made for just three cents per 2-ounce meal. This led to the founding of Meals for Millions as a not-for-profit organization in 1946.

Additionally, Clinton opened his so-called "Penny Restaurant" in 1931, at the height of the Great Depression to serve people who could not otherwise afford a meal. He combined his first name and family name into "Clifton's" restaurant, which still exists in Los Angeles. The restaurant not only featured low prices, but also a multi-story dining experience, complete with themed dining areas (e.g. rainforest, etc.), musicians to entertain diners, and additional free services to assist jobseekers.

Anti-corruption politics Clinton was involved with anti-corruption politics in Los Angeles in the 1930s and ran for mayor in 1945. According to historian Thomas Reppetto, Clinton may have been a target of LAPD harassment:

In popular culture Music Alternative rock band The Toxhards's 2026 single "Mr. Clifford" tells the story of Clinton's political efforts from the perspective of a smear campaign by the corrupt politicians he opposed.