| Seymour Eaton | |
| Pseudonym: | Paul Piper |
| Birth Date: | 7 May 1859 |
| Birth Place: | Grey County, OntarioGrey County, Canada West |
| Death Place: | Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Signature: | Seymour Eaton signature.png |
Seymour Eaton (May 7, 1859[1] – 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,[2] and is credited with coining the name "Teddy bear".[3] [4] [5]
Born in the community of Epping in Grey County, Canada West, 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.[6] [4] Eaton founded, in the United States and Britain, the Booklovers' and Tabard Inn libraries.[7] For five years he was director of the Drexel Institute of Philadelphia. He was for five years a daily contributor to the Chicago Record and founded and edited the Booklovers' Magazine until it was merged into Appleton's Magazine. 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.[6]
Eaton married Jennie V. Adair in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on January 15, 1884. They had three sons: Frank, Jack, and Seymour Jr.[6] [8] Eaton died at his home in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, aged 56.[6]