Fred Kilmer

From epidemic masks that the company introduced during the Spanish flu pandemic to work it’s doing today on an investigational COVID-19 vaccine, learn how the company has been at the forefront of safeguarding global public health for well over a century.

As Memorial Day approaches, we’re honoring the life of the famous poet and service member, known for his iconic “Trees” poem, who was the son of the company’s first Scientific Director—and a writer for Johnson & Johnson.

The company debuted its iconic catgut sutures in June of 1887, cementing its reputation as a healthcare innovator—and these unexpected artisans played a pivotal role.

In honor of the World Health Organization’s Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign, we look at how the company helped usher in the concept of sterile surgery at a time when physicians weren’t even in the habit of scrubbing in.

To help support the influx of immigrants that were calling America home in the early 20th century, the company translated its ads and materials for pharmacists into 15 languages.

The company’s first scientific director was responsible for groundbreaking innovations that surgeons use to this day. But there’s a lot more to this Renaissance man’s impressive story.