The Resume

(September 10, 1839-April 4, 1912)
Born in Clifton, Ohio
Lutheran minister, editor, lexicographer, and publisher
Co-founder of the publishing company Funk & Wagnalls (1875)
Founded the magazine 'Literary Digest' (1890)
Published 'Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of the English Language' (2 volumes, 1893-95)

Why he might be annoying:

He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York City as candidate of the Prohibition Party.
After his first wife died, he married her sister.
He became a devotee of spiritualism and continued defending fraudulent mediums after they had been exposed.
He claimed to have talked with Thomas Paine and Henry Ward Beecher during seances.

Why he might not be annoying:

His company's dictionary was designed for ease of use.
Differences from previous dictionaries included listing definitions with most common usages first (instead of listing the oldest usage first) and placing etymologies after the definitions instead of before.
In creating the 'Standard Dictionary,' he oversaw a team of 740 people and spent $960,000.
He inspired the recurring Laugh-In line 'You can look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 88]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [September] (Ranked: 9101839)
• I am a Lutheran
• I Died in 1912 (Ranked: 72)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• I Lived on Staten Island
• I Sought Political Office
• I'm Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery [Brooklyn]
• My Name, My Company
• Profiles 54501-54750 (Ranked: 54527)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying