Economic Research: Foundation Brush

Sunday 9 December 2012

Foundation Brush

Charles Francis Brush (March 17, 1849 – June 15, 1929) was a noted inventor and electrical engineer, and a leading citizen of Cleveland. He was also a wise and prophetic person. In the 1920s he recognized the implications of the uncontrolled growth of populations and predicted rather accurately the situation which confronts us today.In the deed of gift that established the Foundation he states:In my opinion the most urgent problem confronting the world today is the rapid increase of population which threatens to overcrowd the earth in the not distant future, with resultant shortage of food and lower standards of living, which must certainly lead to grave economic disturbances, famines and wars, and threaten civilization itself.He did not remain merely a prophet. He took action. In establishing his foundation he did what he could when contraception was defined as "obscene and illegal” by the United States Congress.