John Fitch (1917–2012)

John Fitch lived a life filled with adventure and invention that is difficult to capture in a brief such as this. For starters, his namesake ancestor built the first successful steamboat 11 years after the Declaration of Independence severed the bond between colonial America and Mother England. In his own lengthy lifetime he sailed, flew warplanes, was taken prisoner of war, dated JFK’s sister, raced cars, ran car dealerships, managed racing teams, helped design Lime Rock Park, designed and built cars, consulted on the production of the movie The Racers, campaigned for automotive safety by inventing a barrier system that has saved countless lives, and shared six decades of life and love with his wife Elizabeth, fathering three sons along the way. His life and career have been honored with induction to half a dozen Halls of Fame.

While studying civil engineering at Lehigh University, Fitch became aware of the looming threat of war in Europe. Deciding he’d like to see old Europe before it was destroyed, he dropped out of school and crossed the Atlantic on a freighter. His intended itinerary was, however, altered and ultimately truncated by the outbreak of actual hostilities, so he tried to volunteer to fly with the RAF, but found himself surplus to requirements.