Nelson Crocker Hawks was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 21, 1840. Throughout his childhood he had always aspired to become a printer, by the age of 16 he had found employment as a printer's devil (colloquial; apprentice), and by 18 had started his own newspaper. Nelson is notable for creating the 12-points-per-pica standard, he held that there should be a standard measurement system for printing and promoted the idea.

During the 1860s and after, there were at least 30 type foundries in America producing hand set type (that was before any kind of automation or keyboards) and each one had their own way to measure. It was mainly through persistence that Nelson Hawks was able to convince foundry after foundry that the point system had practical merit. He lived to see his system become the standard of the English-speaking world. At 80 years old he commented in regards to life: "The only benefit I have derived from it lies in the satisfaction of having been successful in giving the printing craft something useful and lasting." He died, July 2, 1929, at age 89.

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References

-Karl Arhart, paraphrasing information from "Origin of the American Point System" by Richard L. Hopkins.