Lester P. Barlow

Lester Pence Barlow (2 December 1886 – 6 September 1967) was an American inventor and engineer, known for his work on explosives.

Born in Monticello in the US State of Wisconsin, he spent much of his education working as an electricians apprentice, before enlisting in the US Navy in 1904.

Barlow's career as an inventor began with his participation in the Mexican Revolution. While working for the Villista forces led by General Pancho Villa, he developed one of the earliest examples of aerial bombs. His work would continue when he became employed by The Martin Company, during which he would develop the "Glmite" bomb.

Barlow was also involved with politics, authoring What Would Lincoln Do—which laid out plans for an economic and political rejuvenation of the United States—As well as leading the short-lived "Modern Seventy-Sixers" group.

Early life Lester Pence Barlow was born on 2 December 1886, in Monticello, Wisconsin. He was the son of George Barlow and Jessie Peiree Barlow. While still a boy, the family moved near to Clear Lake, Wisconsin. Barlow had previously met with aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin while in California, and the idea of using an airplane as an offensive weapon had intrigued him. A substantial amount of the book advocated for an works program to construct a national four-lane transcontinental highway to stimulate growth, 25 years before the establishment of the Interstate Highway System in 1956. Barlow would go on to claim that Senator Huey Long borrowed his policies for Long's own Share Our Wealth program.'' In 1936, the US Court of Claims found that five of Barlow's six patent claims were valid and declared the United States owed him $500,000 . It was only after a court battle that in late 1940, Barlow received payment of $592,719.12 from Congress .

In 1938, Barlow began working at the Martin Company. One demonstration in March 1940 involved Barlow setting fire to, firing a bullet at, and throwing a Glmite bomb towards the crowd of reporters, congressmen and military officials to successfully demonstrate the bomb's safety. Barlow also detonated an charge which shattered a telephone pole and threw chunks of it up to , as well as a charge which caused a shockwave which reportedly could be felt from .

At least one planned test was to involve the detonation a much larger glmite explosion, with goats at varying intervals away from the charge to see if any would survive. In response to this, Herbert W. Elmore, president of the Washington branch of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, called for a campaign of protests against glmiting goats or any other animals.

In 1916, Barlow predicted the aerial bombing of cities, and said that the increasing destructiveness of bombs might bring about peace. However he recognized by 1940 that this failed to happen.

Personal life Lester Barlow married three times. He was first married to Ruby Maryon, daughter of James Henry Maryon, and divorced in 1918. His second marriage was to Gertrude Fitzgerald, who he divorced in 1941. His final marriage was to Eden Rawlins, and ended in a divorce in the mid 1940s.

Barlow died on 6 September 1967, at Stamford Hospital, Connecticut. He was survived by his brother, Floyd Barlow, and Lester Barlow's son—who he fathered with Gertrude Fiszgerald.

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