Origins & Early Life

Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an American librarian and educator who invented the Dewey Decimal system of library classification. He was a founder of the Lake Placid Club, a chief librarian at Columbia College, founder of what would later become the Columbia University School of Library Service, and a founding member of the American Library Association. Although Dewey's contributions to the modern library are widely recognized, his legacy is marred by his sexual harassment of female colleagues, as well as his racism and antisemitism. Dewey was born on December 10, 1851, in Adams Center, New York, the fifth and last child of Joel and Eliza Greene Dewey.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He attended rural schools and determined early on that his destiny was to reform the education of the masses. He briefly attended Alfred University (1870), then Amherst College, where he belonged to Delta Kappa Epsilon, and from which he earned a bachelor's degree in 1874 and a master's degree in 1877. While still a student, he founded the Library Bureau, which sold high-quality index-cards and filing-cabinets, and established the standard dimensions...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Arne Garborg — Contemporary (Born in 1851) (1851): Pioneering Norwegian writer and champion of Landsmål (Nynorsk) literary reform.
• Arthur Evans — Contemporary (Born in 1851) (1851): Pioneering archaeologist who defined Aegean Bronze Age civilization through excavations at Knossos.
• Asa Griggs Candler — Contemporary (Born in 1851) (1851): American business magnate and politician, most famous for founding the Coca-Cola Company.
• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — Contemporary (Born in 1931) (1931): Visionary aerospace engineer, scientist, and former President of India.
• Adolfo Pérez Esquivel — Contemporary (Born in 1931) (1931): Argentine activist and Nobel Peace laureate for human rights defense.
• Akseli Gallen-Kallela — Contemporary (Died in 1931) (1931): Leading Finnish painter and pioneer of national romantic art, famed for the Kalevala.
• Ada Lovelace — Shared historical date (12-10 · Born) (1815): Pioneering mathematician recognized as the first computer programmer.
• Adolf Loos — Shared historical date (12-10 · Born) (1870): Pioneering architect and theorist of modernism, known for his critique of ornamentation.
• Alejo Carpentier — Shared historical date (12-26 · Born) (1904): Influential Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist of the Latin American Boom.
• Arthur Percival — Shared historical date (12-26 · Born) (1887): British Army officer, known for commanding forces during the Malayan Campaign and the fall of Singapore.
• 1851 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1851
• December 10 (12-10) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 10
• 1931 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1931
• December 26 (12-26) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 26