Johnson & Johnson founder: Who is Robert Wood Johnson?

In 1861, a total of 720,000 Americans lost their lives in the war, the majority due to infection and disease. To limit the spread of infection, doctors performed limb amputations at record speed. These operations were performed very quickly, by surgeons who did not wash their hands or clean their instruments between patients. Infection was common and often fatal. While his two older brothers were fighting in the Civil War, Johnson was too young to serve. So his mother got him an apprenticeship at his family's pharmacy, Wood & Tittamer, in Poughkeepsie, New York.

1) Robert Wood Johnson I (February 20, 1845 – February 7, 1910) was an American industrialist. He was also one of the three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson. 

2) Robert Wood "General" Johnson II (April 4, 1893 – January 30, 1968) was an American businessman. He was one of the sons of Robert Wood Johnson I, the co-founder of Johnson & Johnson. He turned the family business into one of the world's largest healthcare corporations.

3) Robert Wood Johnson III (September 9, 1920 – December 22, 1970) was an American businessman. He was a grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I (co-founder of Johnson & Johnson).

4) Robert Wood Johnson IV (born April 12, 1947) is an American businessman who was the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. He is a great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, one of three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson. In 2000 he purchased the New York Jets football team and is currently the Jets co-owner alongside his brother, Christopher Johnson.

In 1861, he began his career in a pharmacy, learning the job of mixing medicated plasters. Following his apprenticeship in 1864, Johnson's first stop was New York City, where he worked as a pharmaceutical salesman.

Seabury&Johnson

After working for a while in the pharmaceutical industry, Johnson founded his own company with George Seabury in 1873. The company, based in New York, quickly became a reputable business known for its medicated plasters. It grew rapidly in 1875 and within a few years became one of the most recognized medicated plaster brands in the world. Robert Wood Johnson's visit to the 1876 World's Fair redefined the course of his career. Johnson was among the 10 million people who visited the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Johnson represented his company at the fair. There he listened as Dr Joseph Lister explained his radical new procedure: antiseptic surgery. While many doctors in the audience were skeptical of Lister's surgery, Johnson was convinced that it was the future of medicine.

Founders of Johnson & Johnson

Inspired by Lister's antiseptic methods, Johnson parted ways with his business partner Seabury in 1886. In 1886, he founded Johnson & Johnson with his two younger brothers, Edward Mead and James Wood. Their company produced the world's first mass-produced, sterile surgical supplies. The three brothers formed a strong team. Robert used his business acumen and product design expertise. Edward's forte was advertising. James was a talented engineer who designed creative machines. In 1886, James found himself on a train passing through New Brunswick, New Jersey. He looked out his window and saw a “for rent” sign on a nearby factory building. This building became the first home of Johnson & Johnson. It opened its doors with just 14 employees: eight women and six men. Today, the company's world headquarters is located in New Brunswick.

Innovations Produced by Johnson&Johnson

Johnson & Johnson in 1886; produced the world's first sterile surgical products, including sutures, absorbent cotton, and gauze. Ready-made dressings reduced infection rates and saved lives.

In its early years, Johnson & Johnson advanced medicine through cutting-edge products and ideas. The Johnson brothers soon discovered that producing sterile supplies was not enough. They had to teach doctors how to use them. The company was founded in 1888; a how-to guide on antiseptic surgery; Modern Antiseptic Wound Treatment Methods was published. In 1888 traveling salesmen traveled far and wide to distribute Modern Methods in the United States. Within a few months, they distributed 85,000 copies to doctors and pharmacists. In 1888, Modern Methods made a significant contribution to the field. It also served as a sales guide for Johnson & Johnson products listed on the back pages. In 1888, the manual helped spread germ theory and antiseptic surgical methods. Just 13 years ago, in 1875, surgeons operated in street clothes and worked with dirty hands. By 1889 most surgeons had adopted Lister's methods. They operated in sterile clothes. In 1890, Johnson & Johnson helped make sterile surgery a reality. Since its founding in 1886, the company revolutionized medicine by producing the world's first mass-produced antiseptic medical supplies. From 1890 throughout the 20th century, the company continued to improve these materials and reach new milestones in the field. Through product innovation and strategic acquisitions, Johnson & Johnson has become a global leader in healthcare.

Maternity Kit

In 1894, Johnson & Johnson invented the Maternity Kit to make childbirth less dangerous. The kit included medical supplies and a detailed how-to guide to make birth and the first days of life safer for mother and baby. Expanding on the brochure found in Maternity Hygiene Kits, a pocket-sized booklet for expectant mothers that was also born from Maternity Kits in 1902, this guide provided pregnancy tips, birthing instructions, and an overview of basic baby care. Continuing to expand its effective baby care line, in 1904 Johnson & Johnson introduced Lister's Sanitary Cloths for Babies. Disposable diapers designed for daily use have been especially helpful for traveling families.

Fighting Infectious Diseases

Johnson & Johnson has always been inspired and guided by the latest research. In the century before the company was founded, infectious diseases such as cholera and smallpox were the leading causes of death worldwide. Before germ theory was developed, scientists proposed competing theories about the causes of disease.

In 1886, Johnson & Johnson recognized the power of advanced research in germ theory and antiseptic surgery. The company launched just as these critical concepts were taking hold and sought to advance them through educational initiatives and products. In 1889, the company hired local pharmacist Fred Kilmer as its first scientific director. During his 45-year career at Johnson & Johnson, he would pioneer scientific research and write educational manuals to help improve human health. 1890 One of Kilmer's first and greatest achievements at Johnson & Johnson was his pioneering of the industrial sterilization process. Initially, factory workers sterilized products by hand. The shift to machinery has accelerated the production of critical medical supplies.

Johnson & Johnson recognized early that public education was as essential to fighting disease as well-designed products. In 1891, to keep people and their homes clean, Johnson & Johnson soon expanded its production beyond surgical supplies to consumer health products. One of his first disinfectants, Johnson's Sulfur Fumigator, used smoke to kill disease-carrying pests in the home.

In 1901, Johnson & Johnson realized that these new products also required creative marketing. Scientific Director Kilmer oversaw advertising, reaching out to consumers, and launching public health campaigns to teach its use. When Johnson & Johnson returned to its factories in 1901, it trained workers and protected them against diseases. The company was one of the first to offer vaccines to its employees. In 1901, vaccinations took place every day and more than 500 company employees were vaccinated against smallpox. In response to global wars and a pandemic, Johnson & Johnson developed and delivered critical tools to prevent disease.

In 1914, during World War I, the US Army relied on Johnson & Johnson's line of sterile products. These were used to treat wounded soldiers and prevent infection from muddy trench warfare, keeping soldiers healthy enough to help fight infectious diseases.

The Modern Version of the Epidemic Mask

The invention of epidemic masks dates back to ancient times, during the plague epidemic. However, a smaller and more useful version was developed by Johnson & Johnson. When the Global Flu Pandemic broke out at the end of the war in 1918, the company invented the modern version of older masks to combat it. All Americans are encouraged to wear life-saving masks that help prevent the spread of the disease. It has been claimed that in the 1918 flu epidemic, 675,000 people died in America and more than 50 million people worldwide. Before the flu vaccine was developed, the simple and inexpensive mask was a vital tool in fighting the disease. In 1941, USA II. When he entered World War II, his army once again turned to Johnson & Johnson for supplies. To protect soldiers in the South Pacific from insect-borne diseases, the company developed LUMITE Plastic Screen Cloth, a mesh used in tents and huts to keep insects out.

For more than 130 years, Johnson & Johnson has been committed to developing solutions to improve public health.

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Robert Wood Johnson I: A Pioneer in Healthcare

https://ourstory.jnj.com/robert-wood-johnson-i-pioneer-healthcare