![]() ![]() Continuing in this vein but directing its efforts toward children, RH's think tank initiated a series of Landmark Books about legendary Americans in 1950. ![]() In 1947, after years of research and at a cost of more than $500,000, RH published the American College Dictionary, the first of its many reference books. The acquisition of de Brunhoff, creator of the popular Babar series, proved both timely and prescient, as RH expanded into children's books.ĭomestic and International Expansion: The 1940s and 1950sĪfter World War II ended, RH sought both domestic and international expansion, beginning with the establishment of Random House Canada and the development of a college books division in 1944. and netted several prominent authors in the process, including Isak Dinesen, William Faulkner, Edgar Snow, and Jean de Brunhoff. In 1936, RH purchased Robinson Smith & Robert Haas, Inc. Cerf's precedent-setting crusade made Random House a household word, and the Modern Library's Ulysses was published in 1934. On December 6, 1933, Judge John Woolsey issued a decision with historic implications by upholding Cerf's right not only to possess the book, but also to publish an uncensored version of Ulysses in America. When his unexpurgated copy of the book was seized by customs as 'obscene' material upon his return, Cerf and attorney Morris Ernst gained international acclaim by taking the case to court. publishing rights to James Joyce's Ulysses. Moving into less expensive trade books, Cerf immediately set out to sign up the day's literati, including playwright Eugene O'Neill and poet Robinson Jeffers. These indulgences were discontinued when the Depression took a firm hold of the economy in the 1930s. The partners also produced a few 'deluxe' editions, like the Rockwell Kent illustrated version of Voltaire's Candide and a lavish version of Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In 1931, Cerf and Klopfer created the Modern Library Giants, 'a collection of the most significant and thought-provoking books in modern literature,' as a sibling series of longer classics, like Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace and Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. The partners soon changed the company's name to 'Random House' to reflect their intention of publishing a wide array of fiction and nonfiction without limitations, literally 'at random.'Įxtravagances Cut During Depression: The 1930s Cerf and Klopfer replaced the company's logo with a leaping torch-bearer designed by Lucian Bernhard, bound the books in cloth instead of the original navy lambskin, and recouped their initial investment within two years. Inspired by Everyman's Library, founded in 1905 by Londoners Joseph Malaby Dent and Ernest Rhys, Modern Library already was considered a classic in its time. When Horace Liveright's financial problems grew untenable and forced him to sell the seven-year-old Modern Library, Cerf and Klopfer jumped at the opportunity. Lincoln Schuster), and he had become increasingly aware of the series' value and potential. Simon, who left to form a joint venture with M. Since 1923, Cerf had worked at Boni & Liveright as a vice-president (replacing Richard L. The 27-year-old Cerf and his 23-year-old partner had purchased the 109-volume Modern Library line in 1925 for $215,000 from the Boni & Liveright publishing firm in New York. (RH) in 1927, its pedigree was already well established. Klopfer decided to rename their joint publishing venture Random House Inc. Modern Library Provides a Solid Foundation: 1925-30 The new publishing entity continued with the name of its senior partner, Random House Inc., and had estimated worldwide sales of $1.6 billion in fiscal 1999 ending June 30. was already the largest general trade book publisher in the English-speaking world when it was acquired by German entertainment and publishing conglomerate Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and merged with Bantam Doubleday Dell (BDD), which Bertelsmann already owned. 1998: Random House is acquired by German conglomerate Bertelsmann AG. acquires adult trade division of Reed Books. 1989: Alberto Vitale becomes president, chairman, and CEO of Random House. 1988: Crown Publishing Group is acquired. 1980: Company is acquired by Advance Publications and becomes part of the Newhouse family's media empire. 1973: Random House Acquires Ballantine Books. 1966: Random House Dictionary of the English Language is published. 1965: Random House is acquired by Radio Corporation of America (RCA). Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat, is published. 1950: Landmark Books series for children is introduced. 1947: Company publishes American College Dictionary, the firm's first reference book. ![]() 1944: Company establishes Random House Canada and college books division. 1934: Random House publishes James Joyce's Ulysses. 1927: Company is renamed Random House Inc. Key Dates: 1925: Co-founders Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer acquire Modern Library. ![]()
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