Joseph Park Babcock (1893 – 1949) was an American popularizer of Mahjong, who was born in Lafayette, Indiana.
After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Civil Engineering, he worked for the Standard Oil Company.
He created a simplified version of Mahjong with a goal of introducing the game to America.
In 1924, the Standardization Committee of the American Official Laws of Mah-Jongg was formed.
Babcock was an integral member, and the committee published a standardized rule set.