William Chester Minor

William Chester Minor was an American surgeon who became one of the most prolific volunteer contributors to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Despite his incredible academic output, he spent decades living in a British asylum for the criminally insane.

Minor contributed thousands of precise quotations to the dictionary's editor, James Murray, to help define the historical usage of English words. He had an expansive personal library and spent hours every day extracting quotes from his books.

After moving to England following his traumatic service as a Union Army surgeon in the American Civil War, he suffered severe delusions. In 1872, he tragically shot and killed a man named George Merrett in London, leading to his institutionalization.

Yes, his fascinating story was popularized by author Simon Winchester in the book The Professor and the Madman. The book details how an imprisoned Civil War veteran became a crucial asset to the Oxford English Dictionary.