Malcolm Stevenson Forbes

Malcolm Forbes during an International Invitational Château de Balleroy Balloons Meet.

Malcom S. Forbes was born on August 19th, 1919 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Princeton University and upon graduation in 1941, his classmates voted him the member of his class who contributed the most to Princeton as an undergraduate

In 1941, Forbes joined the United States Army serving as staff sergeant of the Heavy Machine Gun Section in the 334th Infantry, 84th Division. He saw action in France, Belgium and Germany. He was wounded just prior to the Battle of the Bulge when he prevented the possible encirclement of his battalion. For demonstrating initiative, resourcefulness and alert action he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. 

Honorably discharged in 1946, Forbes joined his father at Forbes Magazine. A few years later, he began a political career. In 1951 he was voted in the New Jersey State Senate by a record plurality. In 1957 Forbes unsuccessfully ran for Governor of New Jersey. He served in the state Senate until he resigned in 1958.  

At age 48, Forbes took up air ballooning. He became an internationally known balloonist when he set six official world records while flying coast-to-coast across America in a hot air balloon. He was the first person in history to attempt the feat. For this achievement, he was awarded the Harmon Trophy and was named Aeronaut-of the-Year in 1975. He also founded the world’s first balloon museum at the Forbes-owned Château de Balleroy, France in 1975.