Who is Herbert Spencer from The Story of Philosophy and what is their importance?

Herbert Spencer is born in 1820 and lives until 1903. He is born in Derby into a family of dissenting thinkers. Spencer is an engineer by training and profession—this background contributes to his practical nature. His thinking is logical. He makes clear distinctions between a priori and a posteriori considerations. Spencer is an exceptional organizer who can synthesize and coordinate information above and beyond his own observations and perceptions. For a time he works as editor of the Economist. Ironically he resigns from this job to live from hand to mouth despite the inheritance he gets from an uncle. In an attempt to improve his finances, he sells advance subscriptions for awhile. Fortunately, his admirers give him a gift of securities from which he is able to live on the dividends and interest they pay. Spencer theorizes that evolution may be applied in all sciences like it is in biology.