John Cromwell Lincoln (July 17, 1866 – May 24, 1959) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and in 1924, the vice-presidential candidate under the Commonwealth Land Party ticket. He held 55 patents on several electrical devices, founded the Lincoln Electric Co., invested in the construction of the Camelback Inn, presided over the Bagdad Mine and funded two hospitals in Phoenix, one of which bears his name.
Early years John Cromwell Lincoln was born in Painesville, Ohio, to William Edward Lincoln (1831–1920), an abolitionist minister, and Frances Louise Marshall Lincoln (1839–1918), a physician. There he received his primary and secondary education. In 1888, he graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in electrical engineering and soon after became a construction superintendent. He trained under Charles F. Brush, who invented the arc light and engineered America's first electric street car. In 1891, Lincoln patented his first invention, an electric brake for street-railway cars. In 1889, Henry George visited Cleveland to speak about his ideals. George was an American political economist and journalist whose writing was immensely popular in the 19th century, and sparked several reform movements of the Progressive Era. His writings also inspired the economic philosophy known as Georgism, based on the belief that people should own the value they produce themselves, but that the economic value derived from land (including natural resources) should belong equally to all members of society. Lincoln was among those in the crowd who attended the political meeting. He was impressed with George and read George's book Progress and Poverty three times. His enthusiasm was such that he became a member of the Single Tax Georgism movement.
The Lincoln Electric Company
In 1895, he founded the Lincoln Electric Company in Cleveland, Ohio, with a capital investment of $200.00. Lincoln used the facilities of his company to do research and to experiment with the electrical devices which he invented. The main product of the company were electric motors of his own design. He was directly responsible for 55 patents that gained him national fame as an industrialist. Lincoln helped finance the education of his brother James F. Lincoln who joined him upon his graduation in 1907, as the sales director of the company. The product line of the company expanded and included battery chargers for electric automobiles. In 1914, James F. Lincoln headed and supervised the company as general manager. This in turn gave Lincoln the time that he needed to continue with his research, experiments and inventions. The first variable voltage, single operator, portable welding machine in the world was introduced by the Lincoln Electric Co. in 1911. Lincoln created and patented a flux. The flux made a weld as flexible as steel. The shielded arc welding process developed by Lincoln played an important role in the manufacture of merchant ships in World War II. He developed an employee bonus system in the company which made them the highest paid in the industry. As a result of this system's success, he would eventually apply it to his future ventures. In 1933, Lincoln published The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding Design.
Commonwealth Land Party The Single Tax Party, a political party, was renamed in 1924, and became the Commonwealth Land Party. The party's logo included an image of the earth with the phrase, "The Birthright of All Mankind". New York City served as the Party headquarters with state branches in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The party platform was the following:
That the Earth is the Birthright of All Mankind and that All have and Equal and Unalienable Right to its Use. That man's need for land is expressed by the rent of land; that land rent results from the presence and productive activities of the people; that it arises as the result of natural law, and that it therefore should be taken to defray public expenses. Lincoln became a member of the Commonwealth Land Party and in 1924, was nominated by the party for vice-president with William J. Wallace, from New Jersey, running for president in the presidential elections of 1924. The Wallace and Lincoln team received 2,778 of the popular vote and 0 electoral votes in comparison with the Republican Party's candidates Calvin Coolidge and Charles G. Dawes who received 15,725,016 of the popular votes and 382 electoral votes thus, winning the presidential election.
Sunnyslope, Arizona Lincoln's first wife was Myrtle H Humphrey Lincoln. On April 4, 1892, he had a daughter with Myrtle whom they named Louise Lincoln. Myrtle died in 1913. He later met and married Helen Colville. Helen was a college graduate and former educator who taught math and science. On June 15, 1922, she gave birth to a child, whom they named Joseph Colville Lincoln. Eventually, they had two more daughters and three sons.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
