Founder Profile
Edward Mead Johnson
Last reviewed: November 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Edward Mead Johnson?
Edward Mead Johnson is a founder of Johnson & Johnson, which was founded in 1886 with Robert Wood Johnson and James Wood Johnson.
- Company founded
- Johnson & Johnson
- Founded
- 1886
- Co-founders
- Robert Wood Johnson and James Wood Johnson
Background
Trained as a lawyer before entering the medical supply business with his brothers.
Founding Story
Edward Mead Johnson (1852-1934) co-founded J&J in 1886, bringing crucial sales and marketing expertise to the early business. He recognized the urgent need for safe infant feeding solutions, leading him to leave J&J in 1895 to establish his own company, Mead Johnson & Company, which became a global pioneer in infant nutrition.
Education: University of Michigan; University of Michigan Law School.
Johnson was born on April 23, 1852 and died on March 20, 1934. He gave up a career in law to join his brothers in 1886, and left the business in 1895 to found what became Mead Johnson. Edward Mead Johnson was born in 1852.