Skip to content

    Recently Viewed

      Listening...

      Edith Von Kuster (image courtesy of her family); Johnson & Johnson lab (image courtesy of Johnson & Johnson Archives)

      Meet the first female scientist Johnson & Johnson ever hired

      For Women’s Equality Day, our Chief Historian celebrates Edith Von Kuster’s groundbreaking role and how it set the tone for company culture in the century-plus to come.

      Share Article
      share to
      "Ask Margaret" column illustration of a woman holding a magnifying glass

      Q:

      What’s your favorite historical example of how Johnson & Johnson led the charge in supporting women’s equality?

      A:

      Margaret Gurowitz, Chief Historian: When Johnson & Johnson hired its first female scientist, Edith Von Kuster, in 1908.

      At that time, women were advised to get married and have a family. And if they worked outside the home, most found employment as teachers, nurses, domestic workers or manufacturing line workers.

      Von Kuster took a different path and went to the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in chemistry in 1907.

      Edith Von Kuster listed as part of the Johnson & Johnson scientific department in 1908

      Von Kuster listed as part of the Johnson & Johnson scientific department in 1908

      Image courtesy of Johnson & Johnson Archives

      A year later, she was teaching and doing research at the university when Johnson & Johnson Scientific Director Fred Kilmer reached out to her. (How did he find her? It’s possible he read a research paper of hers, but we just don’t know.) Kilmer offered her a job as one of three staff scientists in the company’s scientific department, where she would be testing raw materials and conducting research and development.

      Von Kuster accepted.

      And while today we don’t think much about relocating for a career opportunity, in 1908, it was unprecedented for a 23-year-old woman to move halfway across the U.S., from Minnesota to company headquarters in New Jersey, to take a job. She was a real trailblazer.

      The hiring of Von Kuster wasn’t the only example of Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to women back then. Eight of Johnson & Johnson’s 36 department supervisors at the time were women.

      It was also an incredibly big deal for a company to hire a female scientist as there were very few opportunities for women in science. In fact, jobs in the industry were so rare at the time that they don’t show up in employment data. Few women even studied science at a college level: The number of women getting science degrees was so small that it’s difficult to measure their numbers from that time.

      Of course, the hiring of Von Kuster wasn’t the only example of Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to women back then. Eight of Johnson & Johnson’s 36 department supervisors at the time were women. And Kilmer actively advocated for women to pursue careers in pharmacy, which was often the first point of contact in healthcare for many patients.

      Johnson & Johnson’s willingness to put women in positions of responsibility in the early 20th century illustrates values that are core to Our Credo today: inclusivity, diversity and equal opportunity.

      When you’ve been innovating for over 135 years …

      Johnson & Johnson has a virtual museum where you can learn more fun facts about its rich history.

      More from Johnson & Johnson

      Innovation
      Blue latex-gloved hands holding a beaker filled with yellow liquid
      Innovation

      IBD rates are rising in communities of color. Can these innovators help?

      Scientists aren’t sure what’s behind the upward trend. That’s why Johnson & Johnson Innovation put out the call to address this troubling health disparity.
      Health & wellness
      Health worker participating in the Johnson and Johnson single-use device recycling program
      Health & wellness

      3 ways Johnson & Johnson is helping make healthcare more sustainable

      Climate change is intertwined with just about every industry worldwide, including healthcare. Here, a look at how Johnson & Johnson is taking action to help support a healthy planet.
      Innovation
      DNA illustration genetic material
      Innovation

      Harnessing the human genome is the future of healthcare—and Johnson & Johnson is helping lead the way

      The company’s partnership with the largest human genome sequencing project in the world will increase scientists’ understanding of genetic diseases and help create new interventions. Here, a look at the breakthroughs that have guided the understanding of the power of DNA.
      You are now leaving JNJ.com and going to a site with a different privacy policy. Please click below to continue to that site.