About Alfred Matthew Hubbard
Lived 1901 – 1982 (aged 81). Alfred Matthew Hubbard was an American scientist.
Alfred Matthew Hubbard (July 24, 1901 – August 31, 1982), was an early proponent for the drug LSD during the 1950s. He is reputed to have been the "Johnny Appleseed of LSD" and the first person to emphasize LSD's potential as a visionary or transcendental drug.
Career In 1920, Hubbard was publicized in West Coast newspapers as having developed a free energy motor, though a Popular Science article published in 1928 referred to it as a hoax. In 1929, he received for a radioactive "Internal Combustion Engine Spark Plug" device, which was manufactured sparingly by at least one U.S. company. It used an electrode doped with polonium 210, a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 138 days. The supposed "ionizing effect"
Motion was said to be among Hubbard's passions. His identity as "Captain" came from his Master of Sea Vessels certification and a stint in the US Merchant Marine.
According to some accounts, Hubbard worked at various times for the Canadian Special Services, the United States Justice Department, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS (predecessor of the US Central Intelligence Agency). Stolaroff learned of Hubbard through a mentor, philosopher Gerald Heard, a friend and spiritual mentor to Aldous Huxley.
Hubbard disagreed so strongly with Timothy Leary's antics concerning psychedelics that he is said to have contemplated shooting him.
According to Todd Brendan Fahey, Hubbard introduced more than 6,000 people to LSD, including scientists, politicians, intelligence officials, diplomats, and church figures.
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Important facts
People in Alfred Matthew Hubbard's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Alfred Matthew Hubbard's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Alfred Matthew Hubbard?
Psychedelic drug researcher
When was Alfred Matthew Hubbard born?
Alfred Matthew Hubbard was born on 24 July 1901 in Kentucky.
When did Alfred Matthew Hubbard die?
Alfred Matthew Hubbard died on 31 August 1982.
What was Alfred Matthew Hubbard's occupation?
Alfred Matthew Hubbard was a scientist.
What nationality was Alfred Matthew Hubbard?
Alfred Matthew Hubbard was American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Alfred Matthew Hubbard
· DBpedia: Alfred Matthew Hubbard
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alfred Matthew Hubbard. https://biography.guide/alfred-matthew-hubbard/
MLA: "Alfred Matthew Hubbard." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alfred-matthew-hubbard/.
Chicago: "Alfred Matthew Hubbard." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alfred-matthew-hubbard/.
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