There’s not a day that passes that Annie Johnston Henn isn’t reminded of the impactful legacy that her late grandfather – L. Lee Stryker – left for his family.
She hears the stories often from her mother, Ronda Stryker, of how Lee Stryker passed down to his children the lessons he learned from his father, Dr. Homer Stryker, and mother, ensuring they would not be forgotten.
“His legacy is to care about all people and to give every person an equal opportunity to succeed,” Johnston Henn said of her grandfather, who was the president of Stryker Corporation until his death in a plane crash in 1976 in Wyoming. “I think he’s probably one of the people who really instilled that idea of philanthropy and giving back, and not just of your assets, but also your time. That was really important to him.”
Now, Johnston Henn said she is hopeful that students at WMedwill be reminded daily of her grandfather’s desire to give back, to do good, to have a positive impact, when they enter the newly named L. Lee Stryker Learning Hall at the medical school’s W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus.
Johnston Henn attended a special ceremony at the medical school on Thursday, May 9, 2019, as the new name for the team-based learning hall was unveiled in honor of her grandfather. The naming also recognizes the generosity of Jon Stryker, L. Lee Stryker’s son and Johnston Henn’s uncle, who has donated a total of $6 million to the general fund at WMed.
“It means a lot to me to be standing in place of my uncle who is such a philanthropic and generous and humble man and had no desire to be here in a photo but a lot of desire to help in any way he can, especially for something he cares about,” Johnston Henn said following the special ceremony and unveiling. “It’s really awesome to see my grandfather’s name up there. Although he wasn’t a doctor himself, the medical community played such an important role in his life.
“I hope all of this inspires students to do a lot of good with their medical degrees and as doctors,” Johnston Henn added. “It’s such an opportunity to give back and give so much. My grandfather also had a really big sense of adventure and I hope students can be creative and I hope they’re just inspired to do a lot more for others than for themselves, and to go out and live their lives and live it to the fullest because I think that’s what he did and what he instilled in my family.”
Indeed, that legacy of philanthropy is what helped make the medical school a reality. It was Johnston Henn’s parents, William Johnston and Ronda Stryker, who gave a $100 million gift to Western Michigan University in 2011 that served as the foundational funding for WMed.
Since its opening in 2014, the medical school has welcomed five classes made up of more than 350 aspiring physicians and celebrated the graduations of two of those classes, most recently the ² Class of 2019 on May 11.
“I’m pleased to add my support to my sister Ronda’s contributions to Western Michigan University and the Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, and honored to have this space named for our father,” Jon Stryker said.