Alfred W. LawsonA professional baseball player, aviator, and utopian philosopher, Alfred William Lawson lived from March 24, 1869, until November 29, 1954. He played baseball from 1887 through 1916 as a player, manager, and league promoter before making a name for hmself in the U.S. aircraft business. He released two early aircraft trade publications. He was given some of the early air mail contracts, but was eventually unable to carry them out. He is widely credited as the airliner's inventor. In order to produce military training aircraft, he established the Lawson Aircraft Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Later, he established the Lawson Airplane Company in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to construct commercial airplanes. His best opportunity for commercial aviation success was shattered when his ambitious Lawson L-4 "Midnight Liner" crashed on May 8, 1921, during the launch of a demonstration flight. In the 1920s, Lawson preached healthy lifestyle choices, such as vegetarianism, and asserted that he had discovered the key to a 200-year life span. He wrote many books about these ideas, many of which were written in his signature typography. Later, he promoted both the Lawsonian religion and his own philosophy, Lawsonomy. Read More Read Less