Samuel Curtis Johnson (December 24, 1833December 6, 1919) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
businessman. He was the founder of
S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., of
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River (Wisconsin), Root River, south of Milwaukee and north of Chicago. It is the List ...
.
Life
Samuel Curtis Johnson, Sr., was the son of Phineas Miller Johnson and Orra Ann Collins. Johnson had deep New England roots; his great grandfather Henry Johnson married Abigail Hubbard, a great granddaughter of
Rev. George Phillips, one of the founders of
Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Sq ...
. Johnson's immigrant ancestor Henry Johnson arrived in the Connecticut Valley from England in 1626.
In 1882, Johnson moved to Racine where he became a
parquet
Parquet (; French for "a small compartment") is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect in flooring.
Parquet patterns are often entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges—but may contain curves. T ...
flooring salesman for the Racine Hardware Manufacturing Co. In 1886, he purchased the flooring business from the company and renamed it Johnson's Prepared Paste Wax Company. A few years later, he established his own factory for manufacturing floor waxes and wood finishes. When his son,
Herbert Fisk Johnson, Sr.
Herbert Fisk Johnson (May 27, 1868 – February 14, 1928) was an American businessman. He was the son of company founder Samuel Curtis Johnson Sr. He was the second generation of his family to lead S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., of Racine, Wiscon ...
, became a partner in 1906, the firm was renamed S. C. Johnson & Son.
Legacy
The S. C. Johnson Company remains privately held by the Johnson family today. It operates in more than 70 countries, employs 12,000 people, and provides products in more than 110 countries around the world.
The
Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management
The Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management is the graduate business school of Cornell University, a private Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York. Established in 1946, Johnson is one of six List of Ivy League business schools ...
at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
in
Ithaca, New York
Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...
, is named in his honor.
See also
*
Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management
The Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management is the graduate business school of Cornell University, a private Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York. Established in 1946, Johnson is one of six List of Ivy League business schools ...
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Samuel Curtis
1833 births
1919 deaths
People from Elyria, Ohio
Businesspeople from Racine, Wisconsin
Family of Samuel Curtis Johnson Sr.
Phillips family (New England)
Burials at Green Ridge Cemetery (Kenosha, Wisconsin)
American company founders