John J. Loud

John J . Loud
John J. Loud at Harvard, circa 1866
Born	(1844-11-02)November 2, 1844 Weymouth, Massachusetts, US
Died	August 10, 1916(1916-08-10) (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.