Wang Yun-wu (1888-1979) of Kwangtung Province was born in Shanghai, camefrom a poor family and received only sporadic education in his upbringing. By hard work in self study, he became a famous scholar of history and political science. In 1921, he was in management of the Commercial Press and thus began his association of forty years with one of the oldest and largest printer and book storage enterprises in China. His invention of Shih Chiao Hao Ma (for location of Chinese ideographs in a dictionary translation of character into four-digit numerals by lexical radicals) gave rise to an unorthodox yet convenient way of Chinese lexicography. His career with the government included Minister of Finance in the late 1940's and other positions.