Eli Lilly was a pharmaceutical industrialist and philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

 from Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Business

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

, Eli Lilly was President of Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...

. He was named for his grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly

Colonel Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly was an American soldier, pharmaceutical chemist, industrialist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical corporation...

, who founded the family business. After graduating from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

University of the Sciences , officially known as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia , located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in pharmacy and a variety of other health-related disciplines.-History:The history of the University of the Sciences...

 in 1907, Lilly joined the family pharmaceutical business. He was president of the company from 1932 to 1947. Following that he was chairman of the board. He showed great management skill and concern for the welfare of his employees.

Lilly was also known for his philanthropic activities and as founder of the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment

Lilly Endowment

Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and is among the ten largest such endowments in the United States....

 Inc. along with his father J.K. Lilly Sr.

Josiah K. Lilly Sr.

Josiah Kirby Lilly, Sr. was a pharmaceutical industrialist, philanthropist, and President of Eli Lilly and Company.-Life:...

 and his brother J.K. Lilly Jr.

Josiah K. Lilly Jr.

Josiah Kirby Lilly, Jr. was a pharmaceutical industrialist and President of Eli Lilly and Company from 1948 to 1953. Lilly, a 1914 graduate of the school of pharmacy at the University of Michigan, was the last family member to run the company. He was named for his father, Josiah K. Lilly, Sr.,...

, which has become one of the largest private foundations in the United States.

Interests

Lilly was interested in history

History

History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...

 and archaeology

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

 and founded the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (now Indiana Landmarks) to aid in the preservation of structures significant to the historical and cultural development of Indiana. Lilly and his family established the Lilly Endowment in 1937. He was on the board of trustees of the Indiana Historical Society

Indiana Historical Society

The Indiana Historical Society is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies and describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller". Housed within the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, it is located at 450 West Ohio St...

, served as its president and later created a substantial endowment, making the IHS one of the wealthiest organizations of its kind in the United States. His gift in 1964 of the William Conner

William Conner

William Conner was an American trader, interpreter, scout, community leader, entrepreneur, and politician...

 home in Hamilton County, Indiana

Hamilton County, Indiana

Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 274,569. The county seat is Noblesville....

 to Earlham College

Earlham College

Earlham College is a liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. It was founded in 1847 by Quakers and has approximately 1,200 students.The president is John David Dawson...

 was the genesis of the Conner Prairie

Conner Prairie

Conner Prairie is an Interactive History Park, or living history museum, in Fishers, Indiana, USA, that preserves the William Conner home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and recreates part of life in Indiana in the 19th century on the White River.-History and...

 living history museum. Lilly was known for his deep affection for his home state.

Lilly owned three side-by-side large residences on Lake Wawasee

Lake Wawasee

Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake in Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13.-History:...

 just north of Our Lady Of The Lake Seminary. He also assisted with the founding of the Wawassee Yacht Club.

Sources

• Indiana Historical Society
• Lilly, Eli. Early Wawasee Days. Indianapolis: Studio Press Inc., 1960.
• Madison, James H. Eli Lilly: A Life, 1885–1977. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society., 1989 ISBN 0-87195-047-2.