Ioannis Alex. Meletopoulos (1903-1980) was born in Piraeus, to an upper class family. His father Alexandros was an acclaimed historian and although Ioannis worked as a lawyer for the Supreme Court of Greece, he followed in his father’s footsteps doing historical research himself. He was the organizer and for many years served as a curator at the Athens Historical and Ethnological Museum, housed in the building of the Old Parliament, and was one of the founders of the Hellenic Maritime Museum, while at the time he was Secretary General of the “Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece.

Ioannis Meletopoulos served as Secretary General of the “Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece” from 1967 to 1976 and curator of the National and Historical Museum. He was president of the Educational Council of the Piraeus Public Schools, a Municipal Advisor from 1947 to 1950 and a member of the Brotherhood of the Tzaneio Hospital of Piraeus. He was the founder of the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Piraeus and the Founder and Grand Donor of the Municipal Library of Mykonos, on the square of Agia Kyriaki which he housed in the mansion of Campani in 1735, which was renovated by Meletopoulos. The Mykonos Library contains about 10,000 volumes of books donated by the historian Alexander Meletopoulos and other donors. Ioannis Meletopoulos was one of the founders and was elected the first president of the Monetary Society of Greece. He was proclaimed Honorary President and Grand Benefactor of the Hellenic Museum of Greece, Grand Benefactor of the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece, Honorary Citizen and Grand. He was an honorary citizen of Mykonos that is why there is, to this day, a street which bears his name. He generously donated to the people of Mykonos a garden full of trees and plants; located to the very centre of Mykonos town this magical garden today, is Cine Manto Mykonos.

Publications:  “The Justice of Ephesus” (1936), “Judicial Board” “Piraeus” (1945), “The First Stage of the City of Piraeus” (1948), “Determination of the Gate of the Piraeus Circle”, “Leading for a Solution” ( 1949), “Antiquities of Piraeus Port” (1949), “Piraeus Antiquities” (1960), “The Guide to the National Historical Museum” (1964), “Pictures of the Struggle, I. Makrigiannis – P. Zografou” (1966 and 1972), “The Navy of the 21st” (1971), “The Second Biggest Explosion in Popular Iconography” (1973), “The Exhibition of Friendly History at the National History Museum” (1964), “Exhibitions-Pr. 1821 fighters’ frescoes at the National History Museum “(1971),” The Friendly Society – “P. Skekeri’s Beginning” (1967), “The Documents of the Otto-era”, “The Constitution of 1844” (1972) (1968), “Personals 1821 fighters of the National Historical Museum “(1976),” Gerasimos Pitsasman “(1976),” The History of Modern Greece in Popular Iconography “(1977),” Prominent Opinions “of Greeks and Foreigners about the Naval Navy” (1977) , “The Battle of Nafpaktos” (1978), “The Early Years of the Ottoman Era in Col. Berger’s Watermarks” (1976), “Popular Pictograms of English history in modern times “(1976),” Album of Greek history “(1976)

He was one of the editors of the old Great Greek Encyclopedia and a contributor to the Helios Encyclopedia.

Donation:

a) In the Municipality of Piraeus: The family archive of him and his family, which became the basis of the Historical Archive of the city. Bronze statue of Themistocles, a Greek carving project that was placed in the space that was formerly the Clock. Bronze statue of “Eleftherios Venizelos”, also a work of Greek carving, which was placed in the garden opposite the Municipal Theater. The bronze bust of Admiral Andreas Myoulis, a work of the old carved Drosios, which was placed on the small square in front of the church of St. Spyridon, where it was once the home of Aquarius Admiral.

b) In the Piraeus Archaeological Museum: Its entire collection of 116 archaeological objects originating mainly from Piraeus.

c) At the Hellenic Maritime Museum: Fighters’ ellipses of 21 models of firearms, metals, documents, etc.

d) In the Municipality of Mykonos: Land for the construction of a reservoir as well as a tree estate in the center of the city, in which there is a wall, to serve as a municipal garden.

e) In the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece: Statues of Constantine Paleologos, George I and George Karaiskakis, and busts of: Papaflesa, Favierou, Myoulis and Papoula, sculpt the busts of Kriezouvon and Sreefon. Also various relics and accounts of the country’s struggles, documents, books, instruments, statues of Tsakalov. Armatolos, Evzoni and others.

g) Bronze busts of Gregory E, Kapodistrias and others at the Hellenic Museum of War.

Honors: Gold Cross of George I, silver medal of the Academy of Athens, gold medal of the municipality of Mykonos.

Honorary President and great benefactor of the Hellenic Museum of Greece, great benefactor of the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece, honorary citizen and great benefactor of Mykonos, whose name bears his name.