Uriah Upjohn

Uriah Upjohn (September 7, 1808 - November 23, 1896) was a British-born pioneer doctor and abolitionist in the Michigan Territory and later in the State of Michigan. He is the father of William E. Upjohn, founder of The Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Uriah Upjohn was the ninth of twelve children, and the second son born to Mary Standard and William Upjohn (1770-1853). Although born in South Wales, he grew up in Shaftesbury, England. Upjohn received elementary education in the English schools, and then attended the Heytesbury and Castle Carry schools. He also attended the Blue Coat School, a school in Shaftesbury that prepared boys for apprenticeships. Many Upjohn family members were educated at the school, including Upjohn’s cousin Richard Upjohn, the famous British-born architect behind New York City’s famed Trinity Church.

Widespread unemployment and unrest plagued England in the 1820s, and Uriah Upjohn’s father feared the situation would not allow his children to advance in life. In 1828, William Upjohn (1779-1847) sent his two older sons, Uriah Upjohn and William Upjohn Jr. (1807-1887), to the United States to look for opportunities and a home for the family. The brothers arrived in New York City in June 1828 and spent two years travelling the east coast on horseback looking for the perfect location for their family to settle. During the winters, they earned money by teaching in East Hamburg, New York. After their extensive travels, the brothers agreed that central New York would be the best place for their family.

In the spring of 1830, Uriah Upjohn returned home to his family in England while his brother, William Upjohn Jr., stayed in New York. On July 11, 1830, the Upjohn family departed from Liverpool on the William Byrnes, and after a seven-week journey, they arrived in New York City on August 29, 1830. Shortly thereafter, the family moved up the Hudson River and settled in Greenbush, New York.

In 1832, Upjohn begin his studies in medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. The program included two years of study followed by an apprenticeship. He advanced his studies by attending two sessions of “Physic and Surgery” at the New York hospital from 1833 to 1834.During his summers, Upjohn attended two full courses of anatomy and surgery under Professor Alden March, a co-founder of the American Medical Association. Alongside his brother, Upjohn apprenticed under Dr. George Hale. Upon the brothers’ graduation in March 1834, Dr. Valentine Mott wrote strong letters of recommendation for both of the brothers.

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