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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
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General Robert Wood Johnson and
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
It was Robert Wood Johnson Jr. who devoted his life to turning the innovative but small family business of Johnson & Johnson into the world's largest health and medical care products company. During World War II, Robert Jr., served as a brigadier general, and from then on, became known as General Johnson. When General Johnson returned to his company, his passion for free enterprise, customer satisfaction, employee rights, and corporate responsibility became apparent as he managed the company's expansion and international growth. He paid a minimum wage for Johnson & Johnson employees that was beyond union expectations. And he created a famous credo to prioritize his company's responsibilities. It stated that a company's first responsibility was to its customers, followed by its workers, management, community, and company stockholders, in that order.
Though often displaying fierce determination as a business leader, General Johnson demonstrated intense compassion for those less fortunate. History shows he made a variety of accomplishments in several fields, including politics, writing, and sailing. However, the man who made Johnson & Johnson a household name wished to be remembered most as a philanthropist. His concern for hospital efficiency and patient care led to advocacy for improved education for doctors and nurses, and specialized training for hospital administrators. By the time of his death in 1968, General Johnson left most of his wealth, $1.2 billion, to establish The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In doing this, he created one of the world's largest private foundations.
The Foundation, based in Princeton, New Jersey, is the country's largest foundation devoted exclusively to health and health care. It gives grants to support medical work and research in three areas: to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at a reasonable cost; to improve care and support for people with chronic health conditions; and to reduce the harm caused by substance abuse (from the use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs). Today, its staff consists of over 150 people committed to carrying on the work begun by General Robert Wood Johnson.