From the archives

1943

Robert Wood Johnson II, son of the company founder of the same name, became president of Johnson & Johnson in 1932. During World War II, Johnson was named a one-star brigadier general as head of the Smaller War Plants Corporation in Washington, D.C. The nickname “General Johnson” followed him back to civilian life. He was best known for writing Our Credo in 1943, which outlined the company’s dedication to corporate responsibility, long before that was a common phrase. Our Credo is more than a moral compass: it’s an outline for business success that continues to guide Johnson & Johnson today.

1889

Frederick Barnett Kilmer was a respected pharmacist, scientist and public health pioneer before becoming Johnson & Johnson’s scientific director and chief publicity officer in 1889. In his role at the company, he led its publication of groundbreaking medical manuals, including the Hand Book of First Aid in 1901. He quickly expanded the company’s laboratory and invented an industrialized sterilization process. Kilmer enjoyed a long and fruitful career at Johnson & Johnson for the next 45 years.

1882

Prior to becoming Johnson & Johnson’s scientific director in 1889, Fred Kilmer owned the Opera House Pharmacy in New Brunswick. In this photograph, Kilmer (far left) poses under the shop’s awning. Among the pharmacy’s frequent visitors was famed inventor Thomas Edison, whose workshop was in nearby Menlo Park. Edison often bought materials for his inventions from Kilmer’s business.

1944

Women employees in the Johnson & Johnson Cotton Finishing Department, New Brunswick, N.J., 1944, show their new uniforms – overalls instead of skirts. During World War II, women employees assumed many traditionally male duties in the workplace when men were serving in the military overseas. Johnson & Johnson had a high percentage of women employees since the company’s founding in 1886.

1934

Johnson & Johnson men’s employee baseball team, 1934, Chicago, IL. During the Great Depression, Johnson & Johnson employees maintained their membership in local industrial sports leagues.

1943

Women supervisors being trained at the Johnson & Johnson Gas Mask Plant, Chicago, IL, 1943. With many men overseas in the military during World War II, this Johnson & Johnson facility specifically recruited women employees. Gas masks were one of a number of wartime products Johnson & Johnson produced for the military in the 1940s, including camouflage material, screens to keep disease-carrying insects out of soldiers’ tents, and Duct Tape.

1910-1919

Johnson & Johnson employees in the Hiker’s Club, undated photo 1910-1919. Beginning in the 1890s with an employee baseball team, Johnson & Johnson employees formed a variety of sports teams and clubs to exercise, learn new skills, pursue hobbies and socialize with their colleagues.

1918

Johnson & Johnson employees who served as nurses stateside during World War I, 1917-1918. Many Johnson & Johnson employees served in the military during World War I, returning to work at the company after the conflict had ended. This group of employees served as nurses in stateside roles during that conflict.

1910

Miss Reed’s desk, Cotton Finishing Department, New Brunswick, 1910. This photograph shows the desk of Miss Reed, one of a number of early women department supervisors in the managerial ranks at Johnson & Johnson more than 100 years ago.

1944

Johnson & Johnson Chicago Gas Mask Division Women Employees’ Softball team, Chicago, IL, 1944. During World War II, Johnson & Johnson made a number of products for the war effort including gas masks, camouflage material, screens to protect against disease-carrying insects and Duct Tape.

1893

The 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago saw the debut of both the Ferris Wheel and the zipper. More than 27 million people flocked to the Windy City to enjoy the entertainment and innovations packed into the fairgrounds. Johnson & Johnson was an exhibitor there, and for its display was awarded the fair’s highest honor, the Certificate of Excellence, as well as a special diploma for its innovations in healthcare.

1890s

In this photograph, employees pose with Scientific Director Fred Kilmer. At the turn of the 20th century, as many as 60 percent of Johnson & Johnson’s employees were Hungarian Americans. In fact, many Hungarian immigrants were drawn to New Brunswick at the urging of friends and family who worked at Johnson & Johnson.