|
Frederick Barnett Kilmer, the first scientific director at Johnson & Johnson, believed in collaborating with people in the community to better understand their needs. Kilmer, who worked for the company from 1889 until 1934, engaged in dialogue with health care professionals, patients, and consumers through letters and personal conversations. |
Content for users without Flash here.
Frederick Barnett Kilmer, the first scientific director at Johnson & Johnson, believed in collaborating with people in the community to better understand their needs. Kilmer, who worked for the company from 1889 until 1934, engaged in dialogue with health care professionals, patients, and consumers through letters and personal conversations.
The communication channels of today have drastically changed from those used by Kilmer, but that same core principle of listening to and communicating with the community still holds true. In the spirit of sparking an online conversation, in 2006 Johnson & Johnson launched a blog about Company history. Kilmer House, named in honor of Fred Kilmer, provides insight into the people, places, and products that have made Johnson & Johnson a leader in the health care industry.
“I love to tell the stories behind the origins of Johnson & Johnson and what it was like to work here more than a century ago,” says Margaret Gurowitz, Senior Specialist, Organizational Communication and author of the Kilmer House blog.
“What I find most interesting about the history of Johnson & Johnson is the endurance of our values, which go all the way back to 1886, when the Company was founded,” says Margaret. “I am also impressed by Fred Kilmer’s foresight in starting the Company’s museum and archives. Most of the historical artifacts you see on the blog and much of the information that I write about on Kilmer House were preserved by Kilmer himself.”
Readers of the Kilmer House blog make up a diverse audience that also contributes to the living history of the Company. “There is a large community of people around the world who are connecting through Johnson & Johnson history,” says Margaret. Current employees and retirees enjoy learning more about the Company’s traditions. Individuals with a historical connection to the Company share their own Johnson & Johnson stories on Kilmer House, whether they are personal recollections or memories that were passed down through generations. The blog also attracts historians, students, and other readers interested in topics such as the origin of the Johnson & Johnson logo and the ideas behind some of the Company’s iconic products.
To commemorate the third anniversary of Kilmer House, a video tour was produced that gives viewers the opportunity to visit the Kilmer Museum. The video also shows what Johnson & Johnson was like more than a century ago while Margaret shares the stories behind several New Brunswick, New Jersey, landmarks that are important part of the Company’s history.
Johnson & Johnson, and the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, have pioneered many advances in health care for more than 120 years. Blogs like Kilmer House help to keep this history alive.
To Learn More:
The Kilmer House anniversary video on YouTube®
The Kilmer House blog
Our History
JNJ health channel on YouTube®
