John J. Loud
John J. Loud | |
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John J. Loud at Harvard, circa 1866 | |
| Born | John Jacob Loud November 2, 1844 |
| Died | August 10, 1916 (aged 71) Weymouth, Massachusetts, US |
| Alma mater | Harvard College (1866) |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, inventor |
| Known for | Inventing and holding the first patent for a ballpoint pen, 1888 |
| Spouse | Emily Keith Vickery |
| Children | 8 |
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John Jacob Loud (November 2, 1844 – August 10, 1916) was an American inventor known for designing the first ballpoint pen.
Trained as a lawyer at Harvard College, Loud worked at the Union National Bank in Weymouth, Massachusetts as a cashier. He was also active in his community as a member of his church, a trustee of many local organizations, and a member of local historical societies. Loud invented and obtained a patent for what is considered to be the first ballpoint pen in 1888; however, his invention was not commercialized and the patent would eventually lapse. The modern ballpoint pen would be patented later in 1938 by László Bíró, 22 years after Loud's death.