Johns Hopkins the Man Behind the Name

Published: March 19, 2019, 4:06 p.m.

Johns Hopkins amassed millions by trying almost anything that promised to make money--investing in liquor, real estate, coal-mining, fertilizer, and more. He never married, and it was only after he’d retired from most of those businesses that the public saw what he intended to do with his fortune: create a university--including a medical school--and a hospital. Author Antero Pietila guides us through his book, “The Ghosts of Johns Hopkins---- to show us the man behind the name.