Welch Allyn was founded in 1915 in Auburn, New York by Dr. Francis Welch and inventor William Noah Allyn. The two formed a partnership and developed the first hand-held, direct-illuminating ophthalmoscope and convinced Allyn, a medical instruments salesman, to form a partnership.[3] The company moved to Skaneateles Falls in 1953, where it is still headquartered today.[4] In 2019, Welch Allyn was awarded a $100m contract to supply the United States military with patient monitoring supplies