From the beginning, helping communities in times of need was at the heart of the company’s mission to make lifesaving healthcare products. During the 1880s, when Johnson & Johnson was founded, trains and telegraph lines connected the country, speeding up travel and the spread of news. The era also witnessed the rise of a sensational reporting style known as yellow journalism, which brought harrowing human interest stories to Americans’ attention for the first time. These included stories of natural disasters. When word of these disasters reached New Brunswick, New Jersey, Johnson & Johnson rushed to act. From its earliest years, the company possessed an unwavering commitment to disaster relief. Today, its efforts have expanded alongside its influence and resources: when disaster strikes, Johnson & Johnson is there.
The beginning of Johnson & Johnson’s long heritage of disaster relief can be traced back to the devastating Johnstown Flood of 1889, just three years after the company was founded. The South Fork Dam, 14 miles from Johnstown, Pennsylvania failed on May 31, 1889, releasing 20 million tons of water in a debris-filled wave 35 to 40 feet high that hit Johnstown at a velocity of 40 miles per hour. The force of the water was so great that it swept houses, large trees, buildings, and even locomotives in its path. The flood quickly destroyed four square miles of downtown Johnstown, claiming more than 2,000 lives and leaving many survivors without homes or resources. Relief committees were organized in American cities, including Johnson & Johnson’s hometown of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Johnson & Johnson – still a tiny company with fewer than 200 employees – donated a large quantity of adhesive plasters, surgeons’ adhesive plasters, and other medical products to help the citizens of Johnstown as part of relief efforts. Fred Kilmer, who joined Johnson & Johnson later that year as the company’s Scientific Director, also donated medical supplies from his retail pharmacy.
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