Edmund Mills was born on February 15, 1864 in New Jersey. He worked for many years as
an engineer for the Marine Department of the Babcock and Wilcox Company. He was a
member of the American Society of Naval Engineers. Mills had a great interest in the
study of polar exploration, and collected many books and clippings on the subject.
He was an acquaintance of Admiral George W. Melville, and this relationship, along
with his interest in polar exploration, allowed him to obtain portions of Melville's
personal library. Mills died on January 26, 1920.
