Eli Lilly (April 1, 1885 – January 24, 1977) was a pharmaceutical industrialist and
philanthropist from
Indiana,
United States.
Business
Born in
Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly was President of
Eli Lilly and Company. He was named for his grandfather,
Colonel Eli Lilly, who founded the family business. After graduating from the
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1907, Lilly joined the family pharmaceutical business. He was president of the company from 1932 to 1947. Following that he was chairman of the board. He showed great management skill and concern for the welfare of his employees.
Lilly was also known for his philanthropic activities and as founder of the Indianapolis-based
Lilly Endowment Inc. along with his father
J.K. Lilly Sr. and his brother
J.K. Lilly Jr., which has become one of the largest private foundations in the United States.
Interests
Lilly was interested in
history and
archaeology and founded the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (now
Indiana Landmarks) to aid in the preservation of structures significant to the historical and cultural development of Indiana. Lilly and his family established the Lilly Endowment in 1937. He was on the board of trustees of the
Indiana Historical Society, served as its president and later created a substantial endowment, making the IHS one of the wealthiest organizations of its kind in the United States. His gift in 1964 of the
William Conner home in
Hamilton County, Indiana to
Earlham College was the...
Read More