Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, who wanted to manufacture pharmaceutical products of the highest possible quality. The company's commitment to science and partnership with medical doctors made it a trusted supplier of medicine and caused it to expand rapidly. Today, Eli Lilly is a global company, with 41,000 employees who conduct clinical research in more than 55 countries worldwide. The company's products are marketed in 120 countries and manufactured in 13.
In 2009, the IU School of Medicine recognized Eli Lilly and Company with an IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Award in recognition of its remarkable partnership with the School. For decades, Lilly physicians and scientists joined with faculty in scientific research activities and donated their time and talent to train medical students. The company provided life-saving pharmaceuticals to IU's sister medical school in Kenya. Lilly also has been extraordinarily generous with its financial resources, making approximately $15 million in gifts to the School of Medicine to support scholarships, advance research, and fund priority capital projects. That philanthropic spirit is shared by Lilly employees and executives who–encouraged by the company’s matching gift policy–support myriad programs at the school.
Eli Lilly and Company's philanthropic generosity continued to benefit IU. In 2009, the Company donated a generous grant to the IU School of Informatics to support bioinformatics research.
Eli Lilly and Company was presented the Bicentennial Medal for its long-standing partnership with Indiana University.
