Dr. Stryker received a medical degree from the University of Michigan. A respected orthopedic surgeon in Kalamazoo, he designed and made many of his own instruments as a hobby.
In 1936, he introduced a turned bed frame and, from a small shop in his basement, founded what is now the Stryker Corporation. He also introduced rubber heels for walking casts, a powered high-speed oscillating saw, and the circO-lectric bed. He received numerous awards including a Presidential citation.