Edward William Bok (born Eduard Willem Gerard Cesar Hidde Bok) was born in Den Helder, Netherlands, on this date in 1863. He immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1870 when he was only six years old. Bok became a world-renowned editor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. He was editor of the “Ladies Home Journal” for thirty years. Bok is credited with coining the term “living room,” replacing what had commonly been called the parlor or drawing room. He also created Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida. In 1929 President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the Bok Sanctuary, which was a gift by Bok to the American people. Bok died in Lake Wales, Florida in 1930 and is buried at the Tower on the Edward Bok Sanctuary.
