Melvil Dewey- (Dec. 10, 1851 - Dec. 26, 1931) Librarian and Reformer.

Dewey, most known for his development of the Dewey Decimal Classification System, was a fundamental figure in the shaping and the promotion of Libraries. Dewey not only served as both Secretary and President but was also the first member of the American Library Association.

Dewey's professional and personal interests led him to serve on the American Metric Bureau, the Spelling Reform Association, and numerous other organized activities.

Dewey served as a Librarian at Columbia College where his main job was to reorganize and reclassify the library. The combination of his Library experience and his interest in the Metric System no doubt paved the way for his classification system that organizes Subject Areas into a numerical system based on 10's similar to the Metric System.

Sources:

Dictionary of American Biography, Supplements 1-2: To 1940. American Council of Learned Societies, 1944-1958.

"Eureka!" Dewey did it: his system helps you every time you go to the library. (Melvil Dewey's classification system for books) Weber, Sandra.