As you probably know, the Dewey Decimal System was developed by Melvil Dewey (1851 – 1931). It is the most widely used system for organizing books in the United States, primarily because both school and public libraries utilize it.
I knew that Dewey was interested in simplified spelling, but did not realize that a formal organization was created to push for reform. Funded by Andrew Carnegie in 1906 and calling themselves the Simplified Spelling Board, members included Mark Twain, Dr. Isaac Funk (editor of The Standard Dictionary) and Supreme Court Justice David Josiah Brewer.
According to Wikipedia, President Theodore Roosevelt even got involved, issuing an Executive Order in 1906 mandating the use of simplified spelling in all of his communications.
Big debates on this issue followed, with the Supreme Court weighing in, stating that its communiqués would be printed in the old style.
Roosevelt rescinded his order and Carnegie eventually became disillusioned, withdrawing his financial support.
In the age of Twitter, there just might be renewed interest in this topic. The Handbook of Simplified Spelling, first issued in 1920 by the Simplified Spelling Board, has been digitized and is available on the web.
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