Uploaded February 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
New Brunswick native John Heldrich is one of the key individuals in the revitalization of the city. After serving in World War II, he took night classes at Rutgers, becoming the first in his family with a college degree. Heldrich spent twenty years in manufacturing at Johnson & Johnson and by the late 1960s had been promoted to the corporate level. Heldrich became involved in the redevelopment process at its inception and explains that Johnson & Johnson felt a responsibility to the community around it. Heldrich, along with Leo Molinaro of the American Cities Corporation, Richard Sellars, the chairman and chief executive of Johnson & Johnson, and other leaders in New Brunswick spurred talks about the future of the city. In 1975, the American Cities Corporation conducted a feasibility study on the city’s potential for redevelopment, and the positive results led to the formation of New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT) and the New Brunswick Development Corporation (Devco). After Johnson & Johnson decided to stay in New Brunswick, the company commissioned renowned architect I.M. Pei to design the new headquarters building. Heldrich relates a story about Pei touring New Brunswick and envisioning the future layout of the city. Topics discussed in the interview include the Eagleton Institute’s survey, the creation of Joyce Kilmer Park, the Route 18 extension, the city government and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives is part of the Department of History at Rutgers University. Learn more at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-redevelopment-oral-histories
New Brunswick native John Heldrich is one of the key individuals in the revitalization of the city. After serving in World War II, he took night classes at Rutgers, becoming the first in his family with a college degree. Heldrich spent twenty years in manufacturing at Johnson & Johnson and by the late 1960s had been promoted to the corporate level. Heldrich became involved in the redevelopment process at its inception and explains that Johnson & Johnson felt a responsibility to the community around it. Heldrich, along with Leo Molinaro of the American Cities Corporation, Richard Sellars, the chairman and chief executive of Johnson & Johnson, and other leaders in New Brunswick spurred talks about the future of the city. In 1975, the American Cities Corporation conducted a feasibility study on the city’s potential for redevelopment, and the positive results led to the formation of New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT) and the New Brunswick Development Corporation (Devco). After Johnson & Johnson decided to stay in New Brunswick, the company commissioned renowned architect I.M. Pei to design the new headquarters building. Heldrich relates a story about Pei touring New Brunswick and envisioning the future layout of the city. Topics discussed in the interview include the Eagleton Institute’s survey, the creation of Joyce Kilmer Park, the Route 18 extension, the city government and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives is part of the Department of History at Rutgers University. Learn more at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-redevelopment-oral-histories
