Mystery Mathematician Week of 4-1-08

It's that time again. Now I know some of our experts will find this 19th century legend within a few nanoseconds but try to dig for some interesting anecdote about him. His mathematical pursuits were so far-reaching, you should be able to ferret out some fascinating facts. Also, can you guess a couple of reasons why I chose him?



Don't forget to email me with your solution at dmarain at gee-mail dotcom and please include MysteryMath 10 in the title! Do not post your solution in a comment to this post!
This edition of the contest will end around 4-15-08.