William E. Upjohn
Encyclopedia
William Erastus Upjohn was a medical doctor, founder and president of The Upjohn
Pharmaceutical Company. He was named Person of the Century by the Kalamazoo Michigan newspaper.
, USA
. An 1875 graduate of the University of Michigan
medical school, he practiced medicine for 10 years in Hastings, Michigan
.
In his home, Dr. Upjohn experimented with ways to improve the means of administering medicine. He invented the easily digested friable pill, for which he received a patent in 1885. In 1886, he founded The Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company
in Kalamazoo to manufacture friable pills and served 40 years as company president.
The Brook Lodge Hotel & Conference Resort owes its origins to Dr. W.E. Upjohn, founder of the Upjohn Company. Dr. Will, as he was known, bought the 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) farm in 1895. One of the original buildings on the property was a creamery, which he soon converted to a summer cottage for himself and his family.
This peaceful country retreat eventually became his preferred location for private and business entertaining. In 1956, Twenty-four years after Dr. Upjohn's death, the Upjohn Company purchased Brook Lodge from the family estate and began its transformation into a full service conference center for the exclusive use of Upjohn employees. Today, it is owned by Michigan State University as a full service conference center. Its beautiful surroundings make it a perfect place to hold social events and meetings for guests and employees.
The history of how the buildings on the grounds evolved is just as interesting. During the time that the creamery was being converted to family living quarters, Dr. Upjohn erected a combination garage and guest house in the spot where the Conference Hall now stands. When the Conference Hall was built, the guest house now the Carriage House was moved to its present location. In 1910 Brookside Cottage was built by Dr. Upjohn for his gardener.
Though Dr. Upjohn found his Brook Lodge retreat an ideal location for doing business, he did not like the smell of cooking interfering with his work. So in 1927, he built the Dining Hall which he used for both private and business entertaining. The original carpet in the Dining Hall has since been replaced with a custom design incorporating Dr. Upjohn’s beloved peonies.
The original landscaping of Brook Lodge included a swimming pool, tennis court and walking paths. Dr. Upjohn also planted thousands of trees and flowers. Though iris were his first love, he turned his attention to peonies which flourished in the local soil. According to varying reports, Dr. Upjohn grew from 400 to 675 varieties of peonies, 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of glorious red, white and pink blossoms.
Alongside the mill pond, also part of the original landscaping, is a lovely Japanese garden. In 1967, a Japanese guest who was particularly pleased with his stay at Brook Lodge, sent an authentic temple lantern as a token of his appreciation. With the help of a Japanese architect who insisted that every element "feel right" in order to "look right," the temple garden came to life.
Visitors to the Brook Lodge Hotel & Conference Resort may not notice or fully appreciate the vast tract of property that makes up Brook Lodge Conference Center 637 acres (2.6 km²), of which 40 are maintained for guests' enjoyment. Space not used by guests is leased to the adjacent Kellogg Forest, which is maintained by Michigan State University.
Brook Lodge Hotel and Conference Resort will be closing forver as of DECEMBER 30TH 2009
, and contributed to the Kalamazoo Civic Auditorium. Known as a lover of flowers, he established gardens at Brook Lodge, his summer home near Augusta.
Upjohn
The Upjohn Company was a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm founded in 1886 in Kalamazoo, Michigan by Dr. William E. Upjohn, an 1875 graduate of the University of Michigan medical school. The company was originally formed to make friable pills, which were specifically designed to be easily digested...
Pharmaceutical Company. He was named Person of the Century by the Kalamazoo Michigan newspaper.
Biography
William Erastus Upjohn was one of twelve children born to Dr. Uriah Upjohn in Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. An 1875 graduate of 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...
medical school, he practiced medicine for 10 years in Hastings, Michigan
Hastings, Michigan
Hastings is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Barry County as well as the county's only city. The population was 7,095 at the 2000 census. The city borders Hastings Charter Township on the north, east, and south, and Rutland Charter Township on the west...
.
In his home, Dr. Upjohn experimented with ways to improve the means of administering medicine. He invented the easily digested friable pill, for which he received a patent in 1885. In 1886, he founded The Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company
Upjohn
The Upjohn Company was a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm founded in 1886 in Kalamazoo, Michigan by Dr. William E. Upjohn, an 1875 graduate of the University of Michigan medical school. The company was originally formed to make friable pills, which were specifically designed to be easily digested...
in Kalamazoo to manufacture friable pills and served 40 years as company president.
Personal life
He married Rachel Babcock, who gave him four children. She died after twenty-seven years of marriage. In 1913, he married his neighbor Carrie Sherwood Gilmore, widow of James F. Gilmore, one of the founders of the Gilmore Brothers department store.The Brook Lodge Hotel & Conference Resort owes its origins to Dr. W.E. Upjohn, founder of the Upjohn Company. Dr. Will, as he was known, bought the 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) farm in 1895. One of the original buildings on the property was a creamery, which he soon converted to a summer cottage for himself and his family.
This peaceful country retreat eventually became his preferred location for private and business entertaining. In 1956, Twenty-four years after Dr. Upjohn's death, the Upjohn Company purchased Brook Lodge from the family estate and began its transformation into a full service conference center for the exclusive use of Upjohn employees. Today, it is owned by Michigan State University as a full service conference center. Its beautiful surroundings make it a perfect place to hold social events and meetings for guests and employees.
The history of how the buildings on the grounds evolved is just as interesting. During the time that the creamery was being converted to family living quarters, Dr. Upjohn erected a combination garage and guest house in the spot where the Conference Hall now stands. When the Conference Hall was built, the guest house now the Carriage House was moved to its present location. In 1910 Brookside Cottage was built by Dr. Upjohn for his gardener.
Though Dr. Upjohn found his Brook Lodge retreat an ideal location for doing business, he did not like the smell of cooking interfering with his work. So in 1927, he built the Dining Hall which he used for both private and business entertaining. The original carpet in the Dining Hall has since been replaced with a custom design incorporating Dr. Upjohn’s beloved peonies.
The original landscaping of Brook Lodge included a swimming pool, tennis court and walking paths. Dr. Upjohn also planted thousands of trees and flowers. Though iris were his first love, he turned his attention to peonies which flourished in the local soil. According to varying reports, Dr. Upjohn grew from 400 to 675 varieties of peonies, 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of glorious red, white and pink blossoms.
Alongside the mill pond, also part of the original landscaping, is a lovely Japanese garden. In 1967, a Japanese guest who was particularly pleased with his stay at Brook Lodge, sent an authentic temple lantern as a token of his appreciation. With the help of a Japanese architect who insisted that every element "feel right" in order to "look right," the temple garden came to life.
Visitors to the Brook Lodge Hotel & Conference Resort may not notice or fully appreciate the vast tract of property that makes up Brook Lodge Conference Center 637 acres (2.6 km²), of which 40 are maintained for guests' enjoyment. Space not used by guests is leased to the adjacent Kellogg Forest, which is maintained by Michigan State University.
Brook Lodge Hotel and Conference Resort will be closing forver as of DECEMBER 30TH 2009
Humanitarian contributions
Dr. Upjohn helped establish the commissioner-manager form of government in Kalamazoo. He provided the seed for the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, established the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment ResearchW. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Founded in 1945, the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is an independent research organization based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its purpose is to find and promote solutions to employment-related problems.- Background :...
, and contributed to the Kalamazoo Civic Auditorium. Known as a lover of flowers, he established gardens at Brook Lodge, his summer home near Augusta.