Fake News: California's Fictitious Scientist

By C. MacDonald

There's a lot of talk about "Fake News' these days. The greatest "Fake News" I wrote about involved a famous California scientist who didn't exist.

San Diego was known for a lot of legendary scientists--from Francis Shepard, the father of marine geology, to Jonas Salk, who developed a polio vaccine. Salk once said, "Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams reality."

Sometimes dreams and reality can be hard to separate. There was a San Diego scientist who developed a reputation as California's most mysterious researcher. His work and discoveries were reported in newspapers, magazines and scientific journals around the world. He was even featured in the 1936 edition of Who's Who in San Diego. Yet, the bashful chap never allowed anyone to take his photo.

Ambitious hostesses in La Jolla could never get him to attend their prominent, high society dinner parties. Nobody seemed to have a current address or phone number for this icon, named J. Fortescue.

Still, his presence in the scientific community was unquestionable. He was one of the first to write about his extensive research on a variety of topics from polio to male sex habits.

Fortescue was founder of the highly-acclaimed International Board of Hygiene; vice president of the Academy of Basidiomycologists and a member of the California Mycological Society.

Not bad for a man who never existed!

Actually, the exploits of Fortescue came from the active imagination of the late Dr. Rawson Pickard, a La Jolla pathologist, and his friends. The name "Fortescue" came from an English jurist of the 15th Century.

To this day, some books and documents still list "J. Fortescue" and his astounding accomplishments. But there were only a privileged few who knew the real story. They include Pickard's friends and Dr. Clifford Graves, a surgeon, who I had the pleasure of interviewing.

The hoax started in the days of Prohibition, when a group of local doctors, lawyers and architects gathered at the Turf Bar in Tijuana to swap stories and sip refreshments.

In the 1920s, Pickard, who was well-known for his pranks as well as pathology, got the idea to create Fortescue and a fictitious organization, "The International Board of Hygiene." The board held regular meetings at the Turf Bar.

On Oct. 21, 1926, Pickard and his chums wrote the Secretary of the League of Nations, informing him of their new international organization. The letter was written in French on expensive, engraved stationary and signed by the new board president, J.Fortescue.

"This was a time when international cooperation in the field of public health was virtually non-existent and the group received the endorsement of the League of Nations," Dr. Graves explained.

Gradually, Fortescue became known for his articles in scientific journals. His drinking buddies got him registered in several national organizations, even overcoming a few challenging hurdles.

The National Research Council wondered about Fortescue's qualifications to be included in a directory of child psychologists. The prominent Californian was asked to explain his current research endeavors.

Fortescue's creators sent in a letter, including: "Research in progress--the incunabula of prostitution throughout the ages; malnutrition as influenced by border condition between racial cultures...." He was not further questioned by the council.

Judging from information found in journals, Fortescue was born the son of General and Delphoine Fortescue in the Franklin House (Old Town San Diego) on Feb. 29, 1868. He was educated at several places, including the Huntsville Male Academy of Alabama, and received Ph.D., MD and LLD degrees. The true man of the world once had mailing addresses, in San Diego, c/o Dr. Pickard as well as at the Hotel Garni, Rue des Abesses, Paris, France and 1908 Eutaw Place, Baltimore, Maryland.

Fortescue received further acclaim by winning the $10,000 first prize money in a contest on "Why I Eat Fleischmann Yeast." His winning entry stated: "I have taken Fleischmann Yeast for the past three years, one cake mashed with roquefort cheese and butter, spread thin on a sandwich with a leaf of lettuce. I eat this for lunch, dinner and at bedtime. I enjoy perfect bodily regularity, a good appetite and physical vigor. The whites of my eyes are as clear as a boy and at 65, I'm the envy of my younger friends." It was signed, "The Honorable J. Fortescue."

Dr. Graves didn't recall how the winnings were spent but the legend lived on.

An even more hilarious incident occurred after the International Board of Hygiene met at the ABC Brewery, where the owner provided free beer, making Pickard and his friends very happy and appreciative.

"The board put on a resplendent observance, complete with speeches, salutes, pledges and academic gowns," Graves said. "The manager was overwhelmed."

"To show his gratitude, he sent 60 cases of his finest beer to Dr. Pickard, who in turn rewarded him with a very special note, signed by J. Fortescue. The note said the brewery's beer had been carefully tested and found to be absolutely, non-fattening.

ABC Brewery officials immediately created ads for billboards throughout San Diego with the following message: "ABC Beer Absolutely Non-Fattening. The Honorable J. Fortescue."

For more than 30 years, the exploits of Fortescue and the International Board of Hygiene flourished in the media. Although many of Fortescue's pranks ended when Pickard died in 1963, the imaginary scientist's fame far out-lived the Tijuana Turf Bar and the International Board of Hygiene where he was created.

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