Part 4

The officers and the principal editors of the Company are: President, Dr. Adam W. Wagnalls; Vice President, Wilfred J. Funk; Treasurer and General Manager, Robert J. Cuddihy; Secretary, William Neisel; _Homiletic Review_, Editors: George Gilmore, Robert Scott; _Literary Digest_, Editor: William Seaver Woods; _Standard Dictionary_, Managing Editor, Frank H. Vizetelly.

LYONS & CARNAHAN.--This firm was organized and began publishing schoolbooks about 1878. In 1888, Mr. J. A. Lyons became associated with Mr. O. M. Powers in the publication of commercial texts. The firm name was Powers & Lyons. They continued to publish commercial books until 1909, when J. A. Lyons purchased the interest of O. M. Powers and continued to do business under the firm name of J. A. Lyons & Co. In 1912, J. W. Carnahan purchased an interest in the business, and the firm name was changed to Lyons & Carnahan. Mr. Lyons died in November, 1920, and Mr. Carnahan was elected President of the new corporation which was organized under the same name of Lyons & Carnahan.

Since 1912 the house has been engaged in the publication of both common and high school books.

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY.--This firm was established about 1880 by Mr. H. O. Houghton and Mr. George H. Mifflin, with whom were associated Mr. M. M. Hurd and Mr. L. H. Valentine. They took over, either at that time or a little later, the business of various Boston publishers, namely, Ticknor & Fields, Hurd & Houghton, Houghton, Osgood & Company; Fields, Osgood and Company, James R. Osgood & Company, and Ticknor & Company. Some of these firms were first merged together and then with Houghton Mifflin Company, but practically all this took place before 1882. Ticknor & Company, however, became united with the business a little later.

The Educational Department of Houghton Mifflin Company was established in 1882 through the efforts of Horace E. Scudder and Henry N. Wheeler, encouraged by Mr. Henry O. Houghton, Sr. There were then published Colburn’s _Arithmetic_ and certain Latin books, but Mr. Scudder had the idea that the great masterpieces of American literature, such as _Evangeline_, _The Vision of Sir Launfal_, _Snow-Bound_ and other similar great classics which had recently come into the control of the firm, should be made available in cheap editions for school use. He became the general editor of the Riverside Literature Series which was then established, and which was pushed with vigor and energy by Henry N. Wheeler. Early in the 90’s the Department developed with the publication of Fiske’s _History of the United States_, Fiske’s _Civil Government_, and various collections of literature such as _Masterpieces of American Literature_. This necessitated further expansion and an office was opened in Chicago under the management of C. F. Newkirk, who was later succeeded by W. E. Bloomfield.

In 1902 J. D. Phillips, who had previously been connected with the Editorial Department of the house, was transferred to the Educational Department to do both agency and editorial work, and the Webster-Cooley Language Series was soon published.

Mr. Scudder died in 1902 and Mr. Wheeler in 1905, and the Department came under the management of Mr. Phillips and Mr. Davol. Franklin S. Hoyt, formerly Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Indianapolis, was invited in 1906 to join the firm and take charge of the editorial end of the work. The organization then established has remained practically unchanged until now. Henry B. Dewey, former Commissioner of Education of the State of Washington, is now manager of the Boston office of this Company.

B. F. JOHNSON PUBLISHING COMPANY.--This concern is the successor of B. F. Johnson & Company, which was organized some time in the 80’s to develop a subscription book business founded by Benjamin Franklin Johnson in 1876. The business grew to enormous proportions and at one time the books published by this concern were to be found in almost every house in the South.

In 1895, the Company began to experiment in a small way with schoolbooks, beginning with Lee’s _Advanced History_. Two years later it published Johnson’s _Primer_, and this was soon followed by Johnson’s _Readers_. The success of these experiments led to a reorganization of the Company by Mr. Johnson in 1900, when the subscription book business was dropped and the house began to devote itself exclusively to schoolbooks. The first publications of the reorganized company were _Graded Classics Readers_ and Colaw and Ellwood’s Arithmetics in 1900, both of which series were remarkably successful.

In 1902, Mr. Johnson was succeeded in the presidency by James D. Crump, who held the position until 1920, when he was succeeded by A. J. Gray, Jr. The Company has recently been reorganized by Mr. Gray to meet the demands of its extraordinary growth and to provide for further development on an enlarged scale.

SILVER, BURDETT & COMPANY.--This business was founded by Mr. Edgar O. Silver, April 21, 1885. On September 21, 1886, the firm of Silver, Rogers & Company was organized, M. Thacher Rogers being admitted to partnership. This partnership was succeeded by the partnership of Silver, Burdett & Company, April 16, 1888, consisting of Edgar O. Silver, Elmer E. Silver, Henry C. Deane, and Frank W. Burdett, and on May 2, 1892, the business of the partnership was assumed by the corporation of the same name. Mr. Edgar O. Silver died in November, 1909. In 1910, Arthur Lord was elected Acting President, and in 1914 Haviland Stevenson was made President of the Company.

The date of the first publications of this house was 1885. Among its earliest books were the _Normal Music Course_ and other music books for schools, Farley and Gunnison’s Writing Books, Todd and Powell’s Readers, Stowell’s Physiologies, and Larkin Dunton’s Geographical Readers. For two or three years after its organization in 1885, the house devoted itself almost entirely to the publication of music books for the common and high schools. In 1890, the policy of the house was changed and the list broadened to cover the other subjects in the school curriculum.

Silver, Burdett & Company purchased the business of Potter & Putnam about 1903, and in 1904 that of the Morse Company, adding the lists of these houses to their own.

D. C. HEATH & COMPANY.--This house was founded in 1886 by Daniel C. Heath, whose first office was in Tremont Place, Boston. The name chosen by Mr. Heath for his firm was D. C. Heath & Company, which name has continued until this day. Mr. Heath’s first partner was Charles H. Ames, who was admitted to the firm in 1888. His second was William E. Pulsifer, who joined the Company in 1889. Dr. Winfield S. Smyth, who had been Ginn & Company’s Chicago manager, was taken into the firm of D. C. Heath & Company in 1893. In 1895, the partnership sold its business to a corporation organized in that month, of which Mr. D. C. Heath was made President, Dr. Winfield S. Smyth, Vice President, William E. Pulsifer, Treasurer, and Charles H. Ames, Secretary. Mr. Heath died in January, 1908, and Dr. Smyth in August, 1908.

After Mr. Heath’s death his trustees, Herbert C. Foss and E. G. Cooley, who for some time had been Superintendent of Schools in Chicago, carried on the business for two years, when Mr. Heath’s stock was purchased by William E. Pulsifer, Winfield S. Smyth, Jr., W. H. Ives, James C. Simpson, Isaac Van Houten, Frank F. Hummel, and others who bought a few shares of the common stock. In 1910 the corporation elected as its officers, William E. Pulsifer, President, W. H. Ives, Vice President, Winfield S. Smyth, Treasurer, and Charles H. Ames, Secretary. Mr. Ives soon retired and in September, 1911, Mr. Ames died. The present officers of the Company are William E. Pulsifer, President, James C. Simpson, Vice President, Winfield S. Smyth, Treasurer, and Frank F. Hummel, Secretary. Mr. S. Willard Clary was the editor-in-chief of the Modern Language Department for twenty-seven years, and Dr. Charles Henry Douglas has been the editor-in-chief of the general list since 1895.

When Mr. Heath retired from the firm of Ginn & Heath, he was paid for his interest partly in cash and partly in books. Among the publications which he received from the Ginn & Heath list were Remsen’s _Organic Chemistry_, Shaler’s _First Book in Geology_, Ybarra’s _Practical Method in Spanish_, Sheldon’s _Short German Grammar_, Hall’s _Methods of Teaching History_, and Mitchell’s _Hebrew Lessons_. There were altogether twenty-four bound books and several manuscripts, including those prepared by Mary Sheldon. Mr. Heath’s first publications were Sheldon’s _Studies in General History_, the Joynes-Meissner _German Grammar_, and several French and German texts purchased from English and Scotch publishers and republished by him.

D. C. Heath & Company has acquired by purchase from Leach & Shewell and added to its list the Wells Series of Mathematics for secondary schools and colleges, a number of Latin texts and textbooks from the University Publishing Company, Thomas’s _History of the United States_ from a Friends’ Society known as The Text-Book Association of Philadelphia, Bancroft’s _School Gymnastics_ from Kellogg & Company of New York, Bowser’s Algebras, Geometries, and Trigonometries from Van Nostrand & Company, and the American rights in what is now known as the Arden Shakespeare from Blackie & Son, Limited, of Scotland.

LONGMANS, GREEN & COMPANY.--The American house of Longmans, Green & Company was founded September 15, 1887, by Mr. C. J. Mills. Its business is incorporated under New York State law. The London house began business in 1724. The only change that has been made in the personnel of the Company on this side of the Atlantic was the admittance to the firm of Mr. Mill’s son, E. S. Mills.

The publication of schoolbooks by the American house was begun in 1890. The first of these books were _Epochs of American History_, a series of three volumes edited by Professor A. B. Hart of Harvard. Woodrow Wilson is the author of one of the volumes. This well-known series was quickly followed by Longmans’ _English Classics_, Longmans’ _English Grammar_, etc.

SCOTT, FORESMAN & COMPANY.--This house was founded in 1889 under the firm name of Albert & Scott. The business was originated and carried on for several years by Mr. E. H. Scott. In 1894, Mr. H. A. Foresman purchased an interest in the concern and shortly afterward the publishing business of George Sherwood & Company, with all its stock and publishing rights, was taken over. At that time the corporation name was changed to Scott, Foresman & Company. In 1896, W. C. Foresman bought an interest in the business and became Treasurer of the Company. The same year the publishing business of S. C. Griggs & Company was purchased, and all rights and stock were transferred to Scott, Foresman & Company. In 1908, R. C. McNamara became a stockholder and Secretary of the Company. In 1912, Charles E. Keck became a stockholder and manager of the Eastern office.

Scott, Foresman & Company began publishing educational books in 1889, the first being a beginner’s Latin book, _Bellum Helveticum_, and the second, Lowe and Ewing’s _Caesar_.

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY.--On June 14, 1890, an announcement was made by the American Book Company as follows:

“American Book Company, Incorporated, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago. Birdseye Blakeman, President; Alfred C. Barnes, Vice President; Harry T. Ambrose, Treasurer; Gilman H. Tucker, Secretary. Directors: Caleb S. Bragg, Chairman; William H. Appleton, William W. Appleton, Daniel Appleton, Alfred C. Barnes, Charles J. Barnes, Henry B. Barnes, Birdseye Blakeman, George R. Cathcart, A. H. Hinkle, David B. Ivison, Henry H. Vail.

“The American Book Company is a stock company incorporated under state laws for the purpose of carrying on the manufacture and sale of books. The American Book Company has purchased the schoolbook publications hitherto issued by D. Appleton & Company, A. S. Barnes & Company, Harper & Brothers, Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Company of New York, and Van Antwerp, Bragg & Company of Cincinnati. The company is organized in the interest of economy in the production and sale of schoolbooks, etc.”

Mr. Birdseye Blakeman served as President from April, 1890, until May, 1893. He was succeeded by David B. Ivison, who served as President until 1896. Harry T. Ambrose was President of the Company from 1896 until 1914, when L. M. Dillman was elected to that office. Mr. Blakeman died October 9, 1894, and Mr. Ivison, April 6, 1903.

General A. C. Barnes served as Vice President from 1890 until his death in 1904, when he was succeeded by Dr. Henry H. Vail. He in turn was succeeded by the present Vice President, A. Victor Barnes.

Mr. Ambrose served as Treasurer of the Company until he was elected President in 1896, when Charles P. Batt, the present Treasurer, succeeded him. Gilman H. Tucker was Secretary of the Company at its organization in 1890, and remained as such until his death, November 14, 1913. He was succeeded by John Arthur Greene, who died in 1917. The present Secretary is W. L. Billmyer.

Dr. Henry H. Vail was Chief of the Editorial Department at the organization of the Company, and held that position until his resignation in 1909, when he was succeeded by Russell Hinman. Mr. Hinman died in 1912, when Mr. G. W. Benton was made Editor-in-Chief and is still serving in that position.

Since its organization, the American Book Company has taken over by purchase the schoolbook properties of the following houses: Werner School Book Company, Chicago; Standard School Book Company, St. Louis; D. D. Merrill, St. Paul; Cowperthwait & Company, Philadelphia; Taintor Brothers & Company, New York; E. H. Butler & Company, Philadelphia; Western School Book Company, Chicago; Sheldon & Company, New York; Williams & Rogers, Rochester; the elementary list of the University Publishing Company, New York.

SCHWARTZ, KIRWIN & FAUSS.--This house was established in 1890, the founders being Alonzo Schwartz, James J. Kirwin, and Denis C. Fauss. In 1893, Mr. Schwartz retired on account of ill health, and the business continued under the direction of Mr. Kirwin and Mr. Fauss.

In 1898, this firm purchased the business of the Catholic School Book Company, taking over its entire list. That company, in turn, was the successor of the Catholic Publication Society, established originally by the Paulist Fathers in 59th Street, New York, with Mr. Lawrence Kehoe as the manager.

Among the earliest publications of the house were _The Young Catholic’s Illustrated Readers_, Deharbe’s Catechism, Gazeau’s Histories, Edward’s _Hygiene_, Hassard’s Histories, Farrell’s Spellers, and the _Columbus Series of Readers_, by Dr. William T. Vlymen, which series had already been contracted for and the first book published by the Catholic School Book Company, when Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss purchased their list and completed the series.

The offices of this firm are located at 42 Barclay Street, New York, with Mr. Kirwin and Mr. Fauss still in charge of the business.

THE GREGG PUBLISHING COMPANY.--This organization is an outgrowth of _Gregg Shorthand_, first published by John R. Gregg in Boston, October, 1893. In 1896 Mr. Gregg moved to Chicago, where he established a school and continued to publish his system. In 1907, the publishing business was incorporated as the Gregg Publishing Company, and is owned by Mr. Gregg, with the exception of the few shares held by others to comply with the legal requirements. In 1907 Mr. Gregg moved to New York, where he established an Eastern office. The San Francisco office was opened in 1912, the Boston office in 1919, and in 1920 an office was established in London. At the present time the executive officers are: John R. Gregg, President; Mrs. J. R. Gregg, First Vice President; Rupert P. SoRelle, Second Vice President; W. F. Nenneman, Secretary-Treasurer; Hubert A. Hagar, General Manager.

Beginning with shorthand, an extensive line of publications in that subject was developed, to which were added textbooks in other commercial subjects. In addition to its two magazines, the list of publications of the Gregg Publishing Company at the present time comprises more than one hundred titles.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.--In January, 1896, an American branch of the Oxford University Press opened offices at 91-93 Fifth Avenue, New York, under the management of John Armstrong, with whom were associated W. W. McIntosh, W. F. Olver, and C. C. Schepmoes. In 1897, the Branch took over from The Macmillan Company the publications of The Clarendon Press. In 1915, Mr. Armstrong died. He was succeeded by W. W. McIntosh, the present Vice President and General Manager. Mr. W. F. Olver, the first Treasurer of the Company, died in 1919 and was succeeded by Isaac Brown. Mr. C. C. Schepmoes became Secretary at that time.

The first schoolbook manufactured and published by the Oxford University Press in this country was Schiller’s _Wilhelm Tell_, edited by Sphoenfeld, which was issued in 1902. The concern publishes the Oxford English, French, and German Series. In 1918, the Branch added a Medical Department, which handles all the medical publications of Henry Frowde and Hodder & Stoughton of London.

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.--Mr. George P. Brett, the present President, with the proprietors of Macmillan & Company, Ltd., London, the people who had been interested in the agency of Macmillan & Company previously operating in the United States, undertook the organization of the corporation, The Macmillan Company, in this country in 1896. Mr. Brett has been the President of the American corporation since that date.

There have been several heads of the Educational Department. It was organized first under the direction of Dr. F. L. Sevenoak, who gave a part of his time to this work, the balance being devoted to teaching. He was succeeded by James R. McDonald, who filled the position until the fall of 1902, when he was succeeded by William H. Ives. In 1906 Mr. Ives was succeeded by F. C. Tenney, who filled the position until July, 1912. At that time A. H. Nelson became the head of the Educational Department and held the position until July, 1920, when Charles H. Seaver, who now occupies it, succeeded Mr. Nelson.

School textbooks were published in America by Macmillan & Company before the time when The Macmillan Company was formed as an American corporation, the records showing the publication of Hall and Knight’s _Elementary Algebra_ and _Algebra for Beginners_ in 1895, Tarr’s _Elements of Physical Geography_ in 1895, and Channing’s _Student’s History of the United States_ in April, 1896. Immediately following the establishment of the American corporation, there was published Miller’s _Trigonometry_ in 1896, and in 1897 the following books appeared: Tarr’s _High School Geology_, Nichols’ _High School Physics_, Lewis’s _Writing English_, Tarr’s _First Book in Physical Geography_, McLellan and Ames’ _Arithmetic_, Hall and Knight’s _Algebra for Colleges and Schools_, Davenport’s _Elementary Economics_, Murche’s _Science Readers_. The McLellan and Ames _Arithmetic_ and the Murche _Science Readers_ were the first textbooks published for elementary grades. The Macmillan Company first undertook the work of publishing books for that field in the fall of 1897.

W. H. WHEELER & COMPANY.--This Chicago concern was organized in 1897 by Mr. W. H. Wheeler. In 1898 W. C. Fidler purchased an interest in the Company. Some years later, E. E. Wheeler, son of W. H. Wheeler, was admitted to the firm, as was also John H. Pugh. These four men are still active in the business.

The first books published by this house were Wheeler’s _Graded Studies in English, First Lessons in Grammar and Composition_. These were followed a little later by Wheeler’s _Graded Primer_.

NEWSON & COMPANY.--This concern was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, July, 1900. Mr. Henry D. Newson was its first President. He was succeeded in that office by Mr. Everett Yeaw, the present President, in April, 1912. Mr. Newson severed all relations with the Company on January 1, 1920.

Newson & Company immediately on its organization began the publication of educational books, the first of which was Buehler’s _Modern English Grammar_, the original of the present Revised Edition, published in 1914.

WORLD BOOK COMPANY.--The house was established in 1905 by Casper W. Hodgson. “It was really founded,” Mr. Hodgson writes, “in the Philippine Islands, a little farther west or east than any other American house has started.” The first office was in Manila, but soon another was established at Park Hill, Yonkers, N. Y.

The first books issued were six Philippine publications. The World Book Company now does a considerable business not only in the Philipine Islands, but also in the United States and Latin America. O. S. Reimold and M. A. Purcell have been connected with the business almost from its beginning. M. J. Hazelton, who joined the Company in 1908, has been the Philippine representative of the house. Professor John W. Ritchie has given his full time to the organization since 1915.

The titles of the first educational books published for use in American schools are Ritchie’s _Human Physiology_, and Wohlfarth-Rogers’ _New World Spellers_.

ROW, PETERSON & COMPANY.--This firm was organized in February, 1906. R. K. Row was made President and Isaac Peterson, Secretary-Treasurer. A few years later Charles D. Kennedy and J. R. Sparks purchased stock in the Company and were made directors, Mr. Kennedy becoming Secretary. In 1914, B. E. Richardson purchased stock and became Vice President. In 1919, Mr. Peterson died and Mr. Kennedy was made Secretary-Treasurer.

The first books were published in the spring of 1906. These included Robbins and Row’s _Studies in English_, Salisbury’s _The Theory of Teaching_, Frazier’s _The National Speller_, Hatch and Haselwood’s _Elementary Agriculture_, and Hurty’s _Life with Health_.

McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY.--This organization was started on July 1, 1909, with John A. Hill, President, and James H. McGraw, Vice President. After Mr. Hill’s death in 1916, Mr. McGraw succeeded him as President, which position he still holds.

At the time of the formation of this Company in 1909, when the Book Departments of the McGraw Publishing Company and the Hill Publishing Company were consolidated, the combined lists totaled perhaps 200 books. In ten years this list has grown to approximately 1000 titles. Some of the most notable publications of the Educational Department of the McGraw-Hill Book Company are Dr. Cady’s _Inorganic Chemistry_, Dr. Norris’ _Principles of Organic Chemistry_, Dr. Moore’s _History of Chemistry_, Dr. Mahin’s _Quantitative Analysis_, a series of Electrical Engineering texts prepared under the general supervision of Dr. H. E. Clifford of Harvard University, a series of books on Scientific Management and Efficiency, under the general direction of Dr. R. S. Butler, formerly of the University of Wisconsin, a series of mathematical texts, including Slichter’s _Elementary Mathematical Analysis_, Wolff’s _Calculus_, Allen’s _Projective Geometry_, and a series of successful books for trade schools and apprentice classes, under the general direction of F. E. Mathewson of the Dickinson High School, Jersey City, N. J.

The present officers of the McGraw-Hill Book Company are: James H. McGraw, President; Martin M. Foss, Vice President and General Manager; Arthur J. Baldwin, Vice President; Edward Caldwell, Treasurer; James S. Thompson, Secretary.