Kilmer House

Thursday, April 26, is the Johnson & Johnson Annual Meeting of Shareholders – an event we traditionally hold on the last Thursday in April, even though our first Annual Meeting was actually held on a Saturday in January.  Besides continuing our last Thursday in April tradition, the 2012 Annual Meeting also continues another very rare tradition at Johnson & Johnson: a leadership transition. At this year’s meeting, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Weldon is passing the role of Chief Executive Officer to Alex Gorsky.   (Mr. Weldon remains our Chairman of the Board.)  This

Mysterious tunnels…links to the past…The Underground Railroad…secrets of our Museum building…a legend about hidden treasure…and some survivors from the founding days of Johnson & Johnson.  Now that the days are shorter and the winds are colder, it’s time to gather ‘round the blog and talk about some of the more mysterious aspects of our history.  In a post originally scheduled for Halloween, but moved back due to Hurricane Sandy, here’s a look at some myths, legends and mysteries at Johnson & Johnson.   Mysterious Tunnels Is there really a mysterious tunnel at Johnson & Johnson? 

General Robert Wood Johnson, the author of Our Credo and a tremendously creative and far-seeing business leader, was once asked to define business.  He came up with a three-word definition:  “business is people.”  Johnson explained that the things most people thought of when they thought of a business:  buildings, equipment, products, were all elements of a business, but it was the people – our employees, with all of their ideas and expertise – who actually were the business and brought the business to life.  In celebration of this Labor Day, here’s a look at some of the many women and men who

Spooky postcards, the search for a missing explorer, a classic film noir, black cats, and a mysterious castle.  What do all of those things have to do with Johnson & Johnson?  Read on to find out, in a special Halloween edition of Nine More Things You Didn’t Know About Johnson & Johnson. Today we would just text, but a century ago, postcards were a popular way to send a short note to someone. Many towns and businesses (including Johnson & Johnson) printed photo postcards for that purpose.  Courtesy of the New Brunswick Free Public Library’s online postcard collection, here’s a spo

Johnson & Johnson has just launched a new global giving platform called Care Grows.  Care Grows is a website that allows visitors to pick causes that are close to their hearts and donate to them, and Johnson & Johnson will match their donations.  Since everyone has at least one cause that has special meaning and motivation to them, Care Grows will enable people to make a very personal choice in how they give.  The Care Grows platform is a very high tech, modern way to help make the world a better place.  And although it uses the latest technology, it continues and broadens a legacy of

This year marks a very significant anniversary at Johnson & Johnson:  the 70th anniversary of Our Credo, the business philosophy that guides Johnson & Johnson.  Written in 1943 by General Robert Wood Johnson and presented to the Board of Directors in December of that year, Our Credo is one of the earliest statements of corporate social responsibility, drafted almost three quarters of a century ago. But the origins of Our Credo actually go back much further than December of 1943.  In fact, they go back to 1935 -- and back even further to the founding of Johnson & Johnson. The firs

General Robert Wood Johnson, the author of Our Credo, had tremendous respect for the dignity and merit of Johnson & Johnson employees at every level of the organization. In or around the 1930s (at our best estimate), he sponsored a very special project:  the creation of a set of beautiful stained glass windows representing the different types of work done at Johnson & Johnson.  The windows featured actual employees, and one of those windows allows us to meet one of the Company’s most remarkable early employees face-to-face: one of our women employees from 1886, the year we were founded

Do You Have a Piece of Johnson & Johnson History? Since 1886, Johnson & Johnson has been part of the lives of generations of patients, families and communities throughout the world.   As we work to preserve our history through the restored Johnson & Johnson Museum, we welcome everyone to join us in this exciting historical project. We recognize that our history is a shared experience with the generations of people who have used our products or who have worked for the Company.  Johnson & Johnson and its operating companies have been part of people’s lives for more than a centur

Alert blog readers may remember that we put out a call for historical Johnson & Johnson artifacts on April 23rd.  Why are we looking for historical artifacts?  We’re restoring and revitalizing our Museum, and are hoping to fill in some gaps with your help.  Since Johnson & Johnson has been part of people’s lives since 1886, we recognize that many pieces of our history are pieces of your history as well – and that many people preserve not only historical J&J artifacts, but stories from ancestors and family members who have worked here.  Our call for Johnson & Johnson historical

Our public call for artifacts for our Museum restoration is a few weeks old and, so far, Kilmer House readers have seen two of the coolest items – a Zonweiss clock and a Lister’s Fumigator – that have come back to Johnson & Johnson from employees and members of the public.  Thanks to everyone who has answered the call so far!  The artifacts and stories keep coming in, and they continue to amaze.  Here are some more cool things from our artifacts drive. 1.  A brick!  But not just any brick – this one is from Kilmer House, an historical Johnson & Johnson building that shares a name wit