Edward Mead Johnson
Encyclopedia
Edward Mead Johnson was an American
businessman and one of the co-founders of Johnson & Johnson
. In 1886, Edward Mead Johnson abandoned a career in law and joined his two brothers Robert Wood Johnson I
, and James Wood Johnson
to found Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey
. He left that family surgical supply business in 1895 to found what became Mead Johnson & Company, which produces nutrition products for infants and children marketed in fifty countries around the world.
Johnson was awarded a degree in law from the University of Michigan
and practiced law briefly before going into business with his brothers. He co-founded Johnson & Johnson together with his brothers James Wood Johnson and Robert Wood Johnson I, a company that remained privately held by the family until 1944 when the firm made its first public stock offering.
His first son, Ted, who was born in 1888 with a congenital heart defect and feeding problems. In 1895, Johnson developed a side business, The American Ferment Company, to create a digestive aid. In 1897, E. Mead Johnson left the existing family business to go into business on his own in Jersey City, New Jersey
and in 1905, his side business was re-established as Mead Johnson & Company. The firm's first major infant formula
was developed in 1910, and Dextri-Maltose, a carbohydrate-based milk modifier was introduced in 1911, making it the first American product for infants to be approved clinically
and recommended by physicians. The creation of Dextri-Maltose was provoked by problems experienced feeding his first son as an infant, which became life-threatening.
The firm moved to Evansville, Indiana
in 1915, as part of an effort to have easier access to the raw agricultural ingredients that were needed for its products. The relocation required Johnson to build a series of new plants and factories to replace the facilities he had left behind in New Jersey.
Johnson retired from the firm and devoted his time to deep-sea fishing and golf
. He was an active member of community organizations in Evansville and contributed the money needed to acquire a building used by an organization that fed sick babies, insisting that the donation remained anonymous until his death. The Evansville Business Journal inducted Johnson into its Business Hall of Fame in 2007.
Johnson died at age 81 on March 20, 1934, of a myocardial infarction
suffered at his winter home in Miami Beach, Florida
. His body was transported back to Evansville for burial.
Another son, Lambert, succeeded him as president of Mead Johnson following his death and served in the position until 1955, making him the longest-serving president in the history of the company. Enfamil
is a line of products manufactured by the company since the 1950s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and one of the co-founders of Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
. In 1886, Edward Mead Johnson abandoned a career in law and joined his two brothers Robert Wood Johnson I
Robert Wood Johnson I
Robert Wood Johnson I was an American industrialist. He was also one of the three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson.-Early life:...
, and James Wood Johnson
James Wood Johnson
James Wood Johnson was an American businessman and one of the co-founders of Johnson & Johnson. In 1886, James Wood Johnson and his two brothers Robert Wood Johnson I and Edward Mead Johnson founded Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey.-References:...
to found Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. He left that family surgical supply business in 1895 to found what became Mead Johnson & Company, which produces nutrition products for infants and children marketed in fifty countries around the world.
Johnson was awarded a degree in law from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and practiced law briefly before going into business with his brothers. He co-founded Johnson & Johnson together with his brothers James Wood Johnson and Robert Wood Johnson I, a company that remained privately held by the family until 1944 when the firm made its first public stock offering.
His first son, Ted, who was born in 1888 with a congenital heart defect and feeding problems. In 1895, Johnson developed a side business, The American Ferment Company, to create a digestive aid. In 1897, E. Mead Johnson left the existing family business to go into business on his own in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and in 1905, his side business was re-established as Mead Johnson & Company. The firm's first major infant formula
Infant formula
Infant formula is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid . The U.S...
was developed in 1910, and Dextri-Maltose, a carbohydrate-based milk modifier was introduced in 1911, making it the first American product for infants to be approved clinically
Clinical research
Clinical research is a branch of medical science that determines the safety and effectiveness of medications, devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens intended for human use...
and recommended by physicians. The creation of Dextri-Maltose was provoked by problems experienced feeding his first son as an infant, which became life-threatening.
The firm moved to Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
in 1915, as part of an effort to have easier access to the raw agricultural ingredients that were needed for its products. The relocation required Johnson to build a series of new plants and factories to replace the facilities he had left behind in New Jersey.
Johnson retired from the firm and devoted his time to deep-sea fishing and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. He was an active member of community organizations in Evansville and contributed the money needed to acquire a building used by an organization that fed sick babies, insisting that the donation remained anonymous until his death. The Evansville Business Journal inducted Johnson into its Business Hall of Fame in 2007.
Johnson died at age 81 on March 20, 1934, of a myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
suffered at his winter home in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
. His body was transported back to Evansville for burial.
Another son, Lambert, succeeded him as president of Mead Johnson following his death and served in the position until 1955, making him the longest-serving president in the history of the company. Enfamil
Enfamil
Enfamil is a brand of infant formula made by Mead Johnson. Since 1972, the rabbit character appearing on the packaging is Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit.Enfamil is a product name associated with formulas for babies.-History:...
is a line of products manufactured by the company since the 1950s.