David Lubin’s Legacy
“If ever the history of this great revolution in human affairs that may now be in progress should come to be written, there must be at least a vignette of that prophetic American… David Lubin… He was a precursor, a figure rather like Roger Bacon… it was he who had invented the “Original League of Nations”.
-H. G. Wells, 1918
David Lubin
The Sacramentan who envisioned world peace and did something about it.
David Lubin, a well-known Sacramento resident, who older Sacramentans may associate with the famous Weinstock-Lubin department stores, was the individual responsible for establishing the International Institute of Agriculture (IIA) in Rome in 1906, the world’s FIRST large intergovernmental organization. Government representatives from around the world gathered at the IIA to discuss and negotiate agricultural production trade and distribution issues.
This was so successful that in 1910, Lubin proposed that a similar organization be established to discuss international conflicts. He laid out the plan for a Confederation of Democratic States, structured along the lines of the IIA, that would go a long way in eliminating military conflict. Unfortunately, as there was no war at the time, his idea was ignored.
Nevertheless - after the terrible human disaster of World War I, the idea was taken up by Woodrow Wilson and formulated into the League of Nations as we know it today. Unfortunately, Lubin never received any credit for his original concept, except from H. G. Wells, perhaps the foremost English social commentator of the 20th century, who gave Lubin full credit for conceiving the original League of Nations. If you are interested in watching a documentary on David Lubin’s life & accomplishments, please click the button below.
As highlighted in Morton Satin’s biography of David Lubin, his life story was truly one of, “Rags to Righteous.” Born in 1849, in the harsh and impoverished Pale of Russia, his family first fled to England when he was three years old, learned the language, and carried on to the United States three years later. Lubin was a poor student but a very curious and voracious reader. Lubin went to work at the age of 12 in New England, the industrial center of the United States. During the day, he worked polishing military brass buttons, but at night continued his self-study by reading the various interpretations of the Bible and the great social philosophers of the day.
After the Civil War, he travelled West to seek his fortune and ultimately started the first truly successful retail operation in Sacramento. His strategy was based on honesty, transparency and a complete dedication to the needs of his customers. He was so successful, that, within a very short period, he was able to bring in his half-brother and build the first department store west of Chicago, the famous Weinstock-Lubin store.
Leaving the day-to-day management of the department store to Weinstock, Lubin ventured into agriculture and in a short period of time became one of the most productive fruit and grain farmers in Northern California. He helped form the California Fruit Exchange (now Sunkist) in order to take on the railroad barons, who were seriously hindering the export of Californian agricultural products out East, through their onerous transport conditions and high rates. He was very successful in his negotiations with the railroad barons in New York, paving the way for a complete overhaul of the Northern California economy from mining to agriculture. This success in agriculture inspired Lubin to seek justice for farmers around the world, hence his pursuit of the International Institute of Agriculture.
While no one in Washington was willing to support his ideas, Victor Emmanuel the third, the king of Italy thought such an institution was an excellent idea and supported it financially and politically. The IIA was started in Rome in 1906.
David Lubin’s life purpose of bringing international cooperation & diplomacy to the forefront for addressing global problems is both admirable and not entirely forgotten, especially by UNA Sacramento. Bringing about peace and prosperity to the world were strong motivators in his life that gave him the strength & conviction to pursue his ideas & passions with great success.