Stanley Switlik (December 4, 1890 – March 4, 1981) was a parachute pioneer. Born in Galicia, now part of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, he immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. Originally, his company made heavy sewn items such as golf bags and mailbags.

Parachute tower

With his partner George P. Putnam, he built the first parachute training tower in the United States. The first jump from this tower was on June 2, 1935 by

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

, who described the experience as "Loads of fun!".

Death

He died of a heart attack in

Marathon, Florida Marathon is a city in the middle of the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, Monroe County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 9,689, up from 8,297 in 2010 United States ce ...

on March 4, 1981.

Great Adventure Controversy

In 1973 Switlik initially agreed to sell of property he owned to the original company that eventually became

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located approximately southeast of Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelph ...

Jackson, New Jersey Jackson Township is a township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A portion of the township is located within the Pinelands National Reserve. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population was 58,544, an increas ...

. The controversy was how the property was to be utilized. It was his position that it would be used for a drive through animal park, but the plan of the buyers was also to include an amusement park. As a conservationist, Switlik believed the amusement park should not be built. In a long protracted legal battle which eventually went to the US Supreme Court, Mr. Switlik lost his case. A judgment of $4.8 million had been originally awarded, but the long battle increased the payment substantially due to interest on the original judgment. This resulted in the bankruptcy to him and his family. Great Adventure was built and now includes both amusement rides and a drive through animal park.

Legacy

The Stanley Switlik Elementary school in

is named for him, as is the Switlik Elementary SchoolSwitlik Elementary School
/ref> in

. Switlik Residents Hall at

Rider University Rider University is a private university in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, United States. It consists of three academic units: the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which includes Westminster Choir Coll ...

Lawrenceville, New Jersey Lawrenceville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

is also named after Stanley Switlik. He served on the Board of Trustees of Rider for 16 years and received an honorary degree in 1954.

References

External links

Parachute tower, U.S. patentSwitlik Company Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Switlik, Stanley 1890 births 1981 deaths People from Jackson Township, New Jersey Parachuting in the United States People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria People from Marathon, Florida Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States