The History of the Upjohn Institute
During the Great Depression, William Erastus Upjohn, founder of The Upjohn Company, embarked on a grand experiment. He provided land for displaced workers in the community so they could plant a garden or work on the company’s farm co-op to provide for themselves and their families.
Six weeks before his death, in 1932, Dr. Upjohn created the W.E. Upjohn Unemployment Trustee Corporation to support the initiative. Three years later, federal legislation established the Unemployment Insurance system, which gave cash assistance as a social safety net for displaced workers, lessening the need for the co-op farm.
On July 1, 1945, after consultation with national research and policy experts, the Trustee Corporation refocused the endeavor and created what is today the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
The Institute’s in-house staff of researchers, complemented by grants to outside experts, analyzes a host of policy-relevant employment issues with the goal of both furthering the academic literature and supporting policy influencers in making impactful decisions based on data both at home and around the globe. While the Institute’s Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions strategically plans and administers the delivery of federal- and state-funded workforce programs in a four-county area in southwest Michigan.
The Institute's engagement in both research and operations is a unique feature of the Institute, offering researchers greater insight into the daily issues facing workforce program staff and administrators. In turn, it provides administrators with state-of-the-art research findings and analytical capabilities to carry out their operations more effectively.
Dr. Upjohn’s generous gift in creating the Trustee Corporation continues to provide the primary financial means to support the Institute’s activities. The endowment provides the Institute with unique opportunities of long-term sustainability, consistency in purpose and the freedom to research issues and experiment with innovative approaches in service of its mission.
More history (video):
A detailed look at the life and legacy of the Institute’s founder
About the Upjohn Family
Donald R. Parfet, Chair, Upjohn Institute Board of Trustees, provides a look at the lineage and life of W.E. Upjohn.
About the Upjohn Institute's Kalamazoo Campus
Lynn Houghton of Western Michigan University examines the history of the Institute’s neighborhood and hometown.