The Man Who Would Defy Gravity
Smart enough to predict the crash of “29 but still unable to repeal Newton”s Law.
In the 1990s I hobby-farmed near the small town of Babson Park, Florida, located on Scenic Highway (SR17) between Lake Wales and Frostproof. It is the home of Webber International University (formerly Webber College). Both the town and the school were founded by Roger ward Babson.
photo by the author
Babson was an economist and statistition and is generally credited with revolutionizing the business of economic forecasting. In September, 1929, Babson was quoted in a Time Magazine article that “Sooner or later a crash is coming and it may be terrific. The stock market will fall by its own weight.” That same day the market dropped three percentage points and became known as the Babson Break. The big crash would soon follow.
Roger Ward Babson
Babson had a pseudoscientific idea that the laws of physics accounted for the rise and fall of the economy. There was, however, one law he wanted to get repealed: the Law of Gravity.
He took issue with Sir Isaac Newton’s theory and spent most of his adult life and much of his fortune trying to disprove it. In 1948 he founded the Gravity Research Foundation which he hoped would produce anti-gravity screens that would allow people to become weightless at will. A shoe manufacturer offered Babson $100,000. for an invention that could be placed in the sole of a shoe to insulate against gravity, according to the Time article, and a floor covering firm showed interest in the possibility of flying carpets.
Sir Isaac Newton
Babson blamed Newton’s Law for the deaths by drowning of his sister and grandson and his son in a plane crash. In an essay written by him when he was 18 years old he declared of his sister’s death, “She was unable to fight gravity which came up and seized her like a dragon and brought her to the bottom.”
Roger Babson, the author of 47 books, was a self-made millionaire and cared little what others thought of him. He was mocked an an eccentric and once purchased seeds from the descendent of the tree from which the apple fell upon Newton’s head. Time Magazine called him Sir Isaac Babson.
In 1940 Babson ran unsuccessfully for president as the Prohibition Party’s candidate. In a speech he said, “I more and more see the need both of courage and the willingness to change. Even though these two characteristics seem contrary and paradoxical, a successful life demands a proper mixture of them both. One is the lock and the other is the key; either without the other becomes useless.
To learn more see http://www3.babson.edu…/rwbabsonbio.cfm
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22 Comments
Kate Smedley, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
What a fascinating guy and a real character, eccentric and obviously affected by bereavement; I love the idea of the flying carpets! I’d never heard of him before, thank you so much for sharing Ken.
Jenny Heart, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Thanks for sharing this informative article. You do it well. Like it!
Hugo La Rosa, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Life keeps its upwards progression, even though some of its happenings occur repeatedly now and then, like there is nothing new under the sun. What else will we witness in the coming years?
Collette Edwards, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
He is a new one to me, never heard of him before, Thanks for sharing 
Uma Shankari, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
I loved the connection between courage and the willingness to change compared with that between lock and key…one without the other is useless… Good one.
It was very interesting to read about this man. Made for the beginning of good morning here.
Yes, it’s statistician and not statistition, isnt it?
And how come there are double quotes in the heading at wrong places? Guess it’s something the s/w has inserted wrongly.
Southgate, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Had Babson been elected as US President in the year 1940, he could have suitably dealt with Newton’s Law either through an ordinance or through a legislation from congress.US missed a chance.Really a classical eccentric.It is also strange how he exactly predicted the great depression of 1929.It was right to call him Sir Isac Babson.Thanks for sharing a quite interesting article.
Michael Degenhardt, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
I never knew of this man but now I have a curiosity to learn even more than you provided whic is alot. Very well written. Michael
Marie Antoinette, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Very interesting, and makes me want to know more about him. Maybe you should do a series on him, he seems a very mysterious character.
PR Mace, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Quite an interesting character and it made for a great read. I had not hear of him before, thanks for the insight. I love to learn new things.
Christine Ramsay, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
That was really interesting.. I often used to dream of being weightless and being able to jump from the top to the bottom of stairs without falling and of being able to levitate. It was very strange. A good article.
Christine
Goodselfme, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
I nominate you Reporter of the decade! There you are officially with title. Great info and pleasantly presented too.
Zappy, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Ken
Excellent Article. Educational and somewhat scholarly.
Interesting from start to finsh. Great work!
Zappy
ceegirl, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
interesting
Mystify, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
I have never heard of him in my life but sounded like a very interesting and essentic man who should have been names by the times as Anti sir Issac Babson!He must of knew a bit about what he was talking about after all he was a self made millionare! Very well presented, interesting,informative and well written Ken as always!Ecellent work!!
Ruby Hawk, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
Babson was accentric to think he could redefine grafity. Was he serious? I had never heard of him and enjoyed the story.
Lostash, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
You’ve got to love these eccentrics! The world would be a duller place without them!
Sarah Sullins, posted this comment on Aug 29th, 2009
Very good! I had never heard of this guy- he sounds very eccentric.
chitragopi, posted this comment on Aug 29th, 2009
An interesting article on an interesting character. Thanks for posting
ducroisjosef, posted this comment on Aug 29th, 2009
Very good piece. I like Babsons philosophy, if you don’t like it overcome it, even if it is gravity.
orlandoJP, posted this comment on Aug 29th, 2009
interesting!
deep blue, posted this comment on Sep 7th, 2009
Interesting, I have the wild imaginings that you seem to be a descendant of the man since your facial features strikes the same semblance. You are outright hilarious and a bit eccentric too.
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unown971, posted this comment on Aug 28th, 2009
This was very interesting, good read. Great work!