Seymour Eaton (May 7, 1859 – March 16, 1916) was a Canadian-born American author, journalist, editor, and publisher. He founded the Booklovers' Library in 1900 which became known as the world's largest

circulating library A circulating library (also known as lending libraries and rental libraries) lent books to subscribers, and was first and foremost a business venture. The intention was to profit from lending books to the public for a fee. Overview Circulating li ...

, and is credited with coining the name "

Teddy bear A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, ...

". Born in the community of Epping in

Grey County, Ontario Grey County is a county of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario. Grey County is also a part of the Georgian Triangle. At the time of t ...

, Canada, Eaton was educated in Canadian schools and taught in district schools for seven years. He became a resident of Boston in 1880, and from there went to Philadelphia in 1892. Eaton founded, in the United States and Britain, the Booklovers' and Tabard Inn libraries. For five years he was director of the

Drexel Institute Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

of Philadelphia. He was for five years a daily contributor to the ''

Chicago Record The ''Chicago Record-Herald'' was a newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois from 1901 until 1914. It was the successor to the '' Chicago Morning Herald,'' the ''Chicago Times Herald'' and the ''Chicago Record''. H. H. Kohlsaat, owner of the '' ...

'' and founded and edited the ''Booklovers' Magazine'' until it was merged into ''

Appleton's Magazine ''Appleton's Magazine'' was an American magazine about books and literature. Founded by Seymour Eaton in 1903 as ''The Booklovers Magazine'', it was purchased by D. Appleton & Company in 1904. Its name was changed to ''Appleton's Booklovers Magaz ...

''. He wrote several college textbooks, the novel: ''Dan Black, Editor and Proprietor'', and children's books ''The Roosevelt Bears'' and ''Prince Domino and Muffles'', written under the pen name Paul Piper. Eaton married Jennie V. Adair in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on January 15, 1884. They had three sons: Frank, Jack, and Seymour Jr. Eaton died at his home in

Lansdowne, Pennsylvania Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, located southwest of the Center City Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. As of the 2010 census the borough had a population of 10,620. Lansdowne grew quickly in the ...

, aged 56.

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, Seymour 1859 births 1916 deaths American male writers People from Grey County American children's writers American editors Writers from Philadelphia