John Robert Gregg was an American inventor and educator, best known for developing the Gregg Shorthand system. Born in 1867, he created this writing method to enable faster and more efficient note-taking, which became popular among secretaries and journalists. Gregg's shorthand system is based on phonetics, using symbols to represent sounds rather than letters. This innovative approach made it easier for people to transcribe spoken language quickly. Gregg continued to promote his shorthand method through various publications and teaching materials until his death in 1948.