my way of looking at this quote is by focusing on the ending part and that basically says that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Therefore, the person who controls the present is...
there was another person who asked this question, and they said it was on page 37 of their edition of the book
It WAS George Orwell, written in the Book "1984".
In the edition I have it is on page 37
In 1984.