Arthur Jones, 1927 - 2007

Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries and MedX corporation, died in his home in Ocala, Florida last Tuesday. During his lifetime he served in the Navy in World War II (possibly as a pilot, but I'm not sure whether that was then or in Korea), imported exotic animals, was a wildlife filmmaker, and invented the first variable resistance exercise machines. At one point he rescued 63 elephants from Zimbabwe, most or all of whom were orphaned babies, and flew them to Florida (not sure if the problem was drought or poachers). He also invented the MedX Lumbar Extension machine, which is scientifically proven to cure chronic lower back pain in 80% of patients. He lived a long, controversial, and extremely interesting life. All the articles about his death that I was able to find were pretty terrible, but these two were the best of the worst.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20070828/NEWS/70828011/1356/NEWS01&source=RSS

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/29/AR2007082902246.html

The second one has some pretty serious inaccuracies and lies in it. The IRS was unable to find that he had done anything illegal; they investigated him because he criticized them on national television. Also he managed to not pay income taxes for something like 30 years by always investing any of his profits into new business endeavors. Another important thing they leave out is that of all the people who tried to sue him, none of them ever won. After reading his descriptions of some of these people, I don't blame him for threatening to kill them. As Jones often said, "I don't care what the problem is, violence is the solution." I don't necessarily agree with everything he ever said, but there is no question that Arthur Jones was an independent thinker, and was probably among the most intelligent humans to live in the past century. Anyway, here is the statement from MedX about Jones' death:

Inventor and Fitness Pioneer Arthur Jones Dies
Arthur Jones, the legendary founder of Nautilus and MedX exercise equipment whose groundbreaking inventions changed the way people throughout the world approach health and fitness, died on August 28, in Ocala, Fla. He was 81.
Jones was born in Arkansas in 1927 and grew up in Seminole, Oklahoma. After successful simultaneous careers as a pilot, animal importer and wildlife filmmaker, Jones´ enthusiasm for physical fitness led him to develop the Nautilus exercise machine system. Introduced in 1970, the equipment was the first of its kind to utilize the principle of variable resistance to develop muscles and build strength. Nautilus quickly became a lifestyle phenomenon, creating widespread awareness of the benefits of strength training and launching the modern fitness industry.
The success of Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries earned Jones a place on Forbes list of The 400 Richest Americans. He sold the brand in 1986 and liquidated much of his extensive North Florida real estate holdings – including his private zoo – to finance his next enterprise, MedX Corporation.
Jones reportedly spent more than $100 million of his own money to develop accurate measurement tools and rehabilitation machines designed to address problem areas of the lower back, neck and knees. Jones developed the MedX medical machines through years of research at the University of Florida’s Center for Exercise Science in the College of Medicine and College of Health and Human Performance, Gainesville, Fla.
Geared toward spinal rehabilitation, the MedX Medical line introduced in 1987, produced two breakthrough technologies: 1) positioning the patient to ensure that only the targeted muscles are worked during the session, and 2) a computerized measure of the patient’s functional strength to monitor progress during the rehabilitation process. These unique machines were able to make resistance adjustments as strength increased. Jones sold MedX Corporation in 1996.
The MedX Core Spinal Fitness System was developed in 2002 as a medically-based workout system delivered through five machines designed to isolate and strengthen the low back, neck and torso muscles. Both the MedX Medical and Core systems are used in spinal clinics and throughout the world, with the Core System being used as the exclusive system in a growing number of fitness centers.
Jim Flanagan, MedX´s Vice President of Sales, who worked with Jones from 1971 until 1996 and remained a lifelong friend, commented: "I hope that Arthur Jones´ contributions in the fields of fitness, sports medicine, exercise physiology and orthopedic rehabilitation will be recognized and appreciated. With the accomplishments and contributions he has made over the past 40 years, he should be awarded the Nobel Prize one day."