Thomas W. Lawson

Thomas William Lawson was an American businessman and writer. He was a Boston stock promoter who became famous both for pushing for reforms in the stock market and for the fortune he made from highly questionable stock deals. His 1907 novel Friday, the Thirteenth tells of a broker who chooses that day to bring down Wall Street, and it helped spread the superstition about the date. A large sailing ship, the Thomas W. Lawson, was also named after him.