News & Events

Franklin Lakes, NJ (April 01, 2002) --  
Wesley J. Howe, who led BD for 16 years, died Saturday. He was 80, and had suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for many years. Howe rose from the ranks to become the first non-family member to lead BD. As Chief Executive Officer and President of BD, he helped transform the manufacturer of medical devices and diagnostic systems from a family business to what is now a nearly $4 billion multinational enterprise.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jack Howe," said Edward J. Ludwig, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BD. "Jack was a primary force in making BD the company it is today, and his mark is indelibly stamped on the business and character of our company. The strength and courage Jack demonstrated while leading the Company stayed with him throughout his life."

Clateo Castellini, former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BD, said, "Jack Howe contributed significantly to the success and growth of BD. He had the vision to make the decisions that helped shape the Company as we know it. Jack set us on the course toward becoming a great company that continues to inspire all BD associates."

Henry P. Becton, Director Emeritus and former BD Chairman, added, "BD and I have lost a great friend and leader. I mourn his passing. Jack Howe represented the very best qualities of the Company, and expected no less from those around him. All too rarely do companies enjoy the contributions of an executive of Jack's caliber. Jack's fifteen years as chief executive consolidated our growth and provided the platform for today's success in the new area of biosciences."

Born Wesley Jackson Howe in Jersey City, NJ, he was known by friends and colleagues as Jack. Over the course of a 43-year career with BD, he worked in all areas and knew BD from top to bottom. Howe joined BD in 1949 after answering an ad for a plant layout engineer. At that time, the company was a relatively small, family-owned manufacturer of reusable medical devices, such as needles and syringes. By the time he assumed the presidency in 1972, BD had been transformed into a large, public, multinational company, which was one of the largest providers of sterile disposable products for the healthcare industry.

Howe was a member of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, HoHoKus, NJ. He is survived by his widow, the former Suzanne Rodrock, whom he married in 1946; three children, Marc E. Howe, Richard D. Howe and Suzanne Howe-Comerford, all of Franklin Lakes; eight grandchildren; and a brother, Robert C. Howe of Dunellen, Fla.

Funeral services will be private with interment of ashes in the Memorial Garden of St. Bartholomew's Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, Neurological Institute, New York Presbyterian Hospital, 168th Street, New York, New York 10032.

In the 1950's, Jack Howe played a key role in what came to be known as the "disposables revolution," the historic transition from reusable to disposable medical devices. As a process engineer, his assignment was to integrate research and development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. He helped design the single-use products, developed suitable materials, created new manufacturing processes and established new manufacturing facilities for BD.

Howe became vice president for research and development in 1960 and vice president for manufacturing three years later. In 1968, he was tapped to be the first president of the newly formed B-D Division and went on to become group vice president in 1971.

In 1974, Howe was appointed Chief Executive Officer and President of BD. For the first time in 77 years, BD did not have a member of the founding families at the helm. As President and CEO, Howe sought to develop a collegial spirit, which he termed participatory management.

Howe was appointed Chairman of the Board of BD in 1980. In that year, revenues approached the $1 billion mark, and BD shifted its strategic focus to worldwide management of its major businesses. Sales, marketing and service staffs, as well as new manufacturing facilities, were developed abroad. Management also intensified its efforts to capitalize and build on the company's strength in the diagnostic sector. The decade was marked by 10 consecutive years of growth.

Howe resigned as President and CEO of BD in 1989 and retired from his position as Chairman of the Board in 1992.

In addition to his leadership role at BD, Howe was active in a number of national and state business associations and a spokesman for the healthcare industry. He was founder and first chairman of the Health Industry Manufacturers Association (HIMA), now known as the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), whose membership includes more than 300 corporations. He was also a board member of the National Association of Manufacturers; director of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association; director of the Surgical Trade Association; director of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce; chairman of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association; director of the Council of Americans; and a member of the New Jersey Governor's Commission on Science and Technology.

Howe was chairman of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology, and a founding member and chairman of the Foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He also served on the Board of Directors of Ecolab Inc., Lukens Inc., First Fidelity Bank, and the Newark Museum, and was chairman of the New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company.

A graduate of Stevens Institute, Howe held a BS degree in mechanical engineering, a Master of Science Degree and an honorary Doctorate of Engineering Degree, as well as a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. From 1944 to 1946 he served in the US Army infantry in Europe and was on the faculty of the Ordnance School from 1951 to 1952.