John J. Loud

Life & Legacy

John Jacob Loud (November 2, 1844 – August 10, 1916) was an American lawyer and inventor best known for inventing the 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.