Robert Wood Johnson III (September 9, 1920 – December 22, 1970)[1] was an American businessman. He was a grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I (co-founder of Johnson & Johnson).
Robert Wood Johnson III | |
|---|---|
| President of Johnson & Johnson | |
| In office 1961–1965 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Wood Johnson II |
| Succeeded by | Philip B. Hofmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 9, 1920 New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 1970 (aged 50) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Betty Wold (m. 1943) |
| Children | 5, including Woody and Christopher |
| Parent(s) | Robert Wood Johnson II Elizabeth Dixon Ross Johnson |
| Education | Millbrook School |
| Alma mater | Hamilton College University of Kentucky |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Early life
editJohnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father was Robert Wood Johnson II, president and chair of Johnson & Johnson,[2] and his mother was Elizabeth Dixon Ross Johnson.[3] An only child, his parents divorced in 1928 and his father married two more times, first in 1930 and again in 1944.[4][5] From his father's second marriage, he had a younger half-sister, Sheila Johnson.
His paternal grandfather was Robert Wood Johnson I, one of the three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson. His aunt Evangeline married composer Leopold Stokowski (after they divorced in 1937,[6] he married Gloria Vanderbilt)[7][8] and his uncle John Seward Johnson I founded the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. His maternal grandfather was Millard Fillmore Ross.[3]
He graduated from the Millbrook School in Dutchess County, New York, and attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York and the University of Kentucky.[9]
Career
editJohnson formally began working for Johnson & Johnson in 1941, but was interrupted by four years of Army service in England, France and Germany with the First and 14th Armored Divisions. In 1954, he was appointed to the executive committee of the board of directors and, in 1955, he became executive vice president for marketing. In 1960, he became executive vice president and general manager. He became president in 1961 and took on the duties of vice chairman of the executive committee in 1963. His tenure as president ended in 1965 when his father fired him.[10] He was succeeded as president by Philip B. Hofmann, the first non-Johnson family member to head the company since 1887.
After his tenure as president ended, he established a cosmetics concern, Johnson Industries, in Menlo Park, but was unable to develop the business because of illness.[1] Johnson also served for ten years on the board of directors of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as president and vice president.[1]
Personal life
editIn 1943, Johnson was married to Betty Wold, a daughter of Dr. Karl C. Wold of St. Paul, Minnesota.[9] Together, they had five children, including:[1]
- Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson IV (born 1947), who bought the New York Jets in 2000 for $635 million and served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom under Donald Trump.[11]
- Keith Wold Johnson (1948–1975), who died of a cocaine overdose in Fort Lauderdale.[12]
- Elizabeth "Libet" Ross Johnson (c. 1951–2017),[13] who died of Alzheimer's disease.[14]
- Billy Johnson (c. 1952–1975), who died in a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles a few weeks after the death of his brother.[15]
- Christopher Wold Johnson (born 1959), who became CEO of the New York Jets after Woody became ambassador to the United Kingdom.[16][15]
Johnson died of cancer on December 22, 1970, at the age of 50, at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[10] In 2008, his widow donated $11 million to New Jersey Performing Arts Center in what was then the largest individual donation in the arts center's history. Her 2008 gift was in addition to the more than $2 million she donated after the center opened in 1997.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Dead; Headed Medical Supplies Maker". The New York Times. December 23, 1970. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Robert Wood Johnson, 74, Dies; Chairman of Johnson & Johnson; Founder's Son Led Company Until 1963. No. 2 Man on War Production Board". The New York Times. January 31, 1968. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Times, Special to the New York (October 19, 1916). "MISS E.D. ROSS A BRIDE.; Weds Robert Wood Johnson at Her Home-The Attendants". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "R.W. JOHNSON DIVORCED; Wife Gets Reno Decree From the Brigadier General". The New York Times. July 23, 1943. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Evelyne V. Johnson, A Philanthropist". The New York Times. September 17, 1996. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "STOKOWSKI IS DIVORCED; Conductor's Second Wife in Nevada Charge Cruelty". The New York Times. December 3, 1937. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "GLORIA VANDERBILT WED TO STOKOWSKI; Becomes Bride of Conductor in Mexico--Had Just Received Divorce From Pat Di Cicco". The New York Times. April 22, 1945. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI WEDS MISS JOHNSON; Ceremony in Bride's Apartment Performed by Supreme Court Justice Lydon. TRY TO AVOID PUBLICITY Bridal Gown Was of Wine-Color Velvet Painted in Gold -- Relatives and Friends Attend". The New York Times. January 12, 1926. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "BETTY WOLD BETROTHED; Fiancé, Robert W. Johnson Jr., Is Son of WPB Vice Chairman". The New York Times. April 4, 1943. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Wilson, Duff (November 11, 2004). "Behind the Jets, a Private Man Pushes His Dream". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
Johnson's father died of cancer at the age of 50 in 1970. And since his grandfather, General Johnson, had died in 1968. ... Two younger brothers died in 1975, Keith from a cocaine overdose and Billy in a motorcycle accident.
- ^ Landler, Mark; Jakes, Lara; Haberman, Maggie (July 24, 2020). "Woody Johnson Was a Loyal Trump Supporter in 2016. As an Ambassador, He May Be Too Loyal". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Johnson & Johnson Heir Dies; Drug Overdose Is Hinted". The New York Times. April 1, 1975. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "JOHNSON--Elizabeth Ross". The New York Times. June 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Andrews, Suzanna (June 12, 2010). "Heiress vs. Heiress". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Garman, Emma (August 11, 2013). "Behind the Johnson & Johnson Curse". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Shpigel, Ben (January 20, 2017). "How Woody Johnson's Ambassadorship Might Affect the Jets (Published 2017)". The New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Schweber, Nate (October 24, 2008). "Performing Arts Center to Receive $11 Million (Published 2008)". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2021.