John Loud

Early Life and Career

Born on November 2, 1844, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, John J. Loud came from a family with notable ancestry, including Mayflower passengers William Brewster and John Alden. John Loud was the single son of John White Loud and Sarah Humphrey Blanchard. He pursued his education at Weymouth High School before attending Harvard College, where he graduated with a law degree in 1866.

Although trained as a lawyer, Loud’s career path took a different turn. He initially worked at the law firm Jewell, Gaston & Field but later joined his father in the banking profession. In 1871, he began working at the Union National Bank in Weymouth as an assistant cashier, eventually becoming the head cashier after his father’s death in 1874.

Loud’s most significant contribution to history came on October 30, 1888, when he obtained the first patent for a ballpoint pen. His invention was driven by the need for a writing instrument that could mark on rough surfaces like leather, which fountain pens of that time couldn’t do effectively.

The design of Loud’s pen featured a small rotating steel ball held in place by a socket. In his patent application, he described it as: “My invention consists of an improved reservoir or fountain pen, especially useful, among other purposes, for marking on rough surfaces-such as wood, coarse wrapping-paper, and other articles where an ordinary pen could not be used.”

Limitations and Legacy

Despite its innovative design, Loud’s ballpoint pen had limitations. While it could write on rough surfaces as intended, it proved too coarse for regular writing on paper. Due to this lack of commercial viability, the invention went unexploited, and the patent eventually lapsed.

It would be another 50 years before the modern ballpoint pen was successfully developed and commercialized by László Bíró in 1938. However, Loud’s invention laid the crucial groundwork for this later development.

Other Inventions and Personal Life

Beyond the ballpoint pen, Loud also held patents for a firecracker cannon (1888) and a “toy cannon” (1887). In his personal life, Loud was an active member of his community. He was involved with the Union Congregational Church, various historical societies, and served as a trustee for several local organizations. He was married to Emily Keith Vickery from 1872 until her death in 1911, and they had eight children.

John J. Loud passed away on August 10, 1916, in his hometown of Weymouth, Massachusetts. While his ballpoint pen design didn’t achieve commercial success in his lifetime, his contribution to the evolution of writing instruments is now recognized as a significant step in the development of the modern ballpoint pen.