Free Press (publisher)
| Company type | Imprint (formerly independent publishing house) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder | Jeremiah Kaplan, Charles Liebman |
| Defunct | 2012 (as separate imprint) |
| Fate | Integrated into Simon & Schuster main imprint |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
Free Press was an American independent publishing house that eventually became an imprint under Simon & Schuster. Renowned for its serious nonfiction output, it played a significant role in releasing important sociological texts from the 1950s through the 1970s. In the 1980s, the imprint shifted its focus toward neoconservative literature and was subsequently acquired by Simon & Schuster in 1994. Although Free Press ceased operating as a separate imprint by 2012, some publications continued to be issued under its brand.
History
Established in 1947 by Jeremiah Kaplan and Charles Liebman, Free Press originally concentrated on works related to religion and social sciences. The name was chosen to symbolize a dedication to civil liberties. Among its early notable releases were seminal works such as Emile Durkheim's Division of Labor, Max Weber's The Theory of Economic and Social Organization, and Bertrand Russell's The Scientific Outlook. Based in Glencoe, Illinois, it was commonly known as The Free Press of Glencoe.
In 1960, Kaplan agreed to join Macmillan Publishing on the condition that they acquire Free Press, which was purchased for $1.3 million. Later, in 1994, Simon & Schuster took over both Macmillan and Free Press. By 2012, Free Press was integrated into Simon & Schuster’s main imprint with intentions to continue publishing influential thinkers and broaden its roster across various genres.
During the 1960s and 1970s, leadership at Free Press included figures such as George McCune, Valery Webb, Ed Barry, and Robert Wallace. Under Ed Barry’s direction, Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1974. In 1983, Erwin Glikes, a political neoconservative, assumed control and redirected the imprint toward conservative works including Robert Bork’s The Tempting of America and Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind. Adam Bellow succeeded him, continuing this ideological focus with titles like Dinesh D'Souza’s Illiberal Education, David Brock’s The Real Anita Hill, and Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein’s controversial The Bell Curve.
Following its acquisition by Simon & Schuster, Free Press experienced brief leadership periods under Michael Jacobs, Paula Barker Duffy, and William Shinker. Martha Levin served as publisher from 2001 until the imprint’s merger in 2012. Recent acclaimed publications include Carlos Eire’s National Book Award-winning memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana (2003) and Aravind Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger, which won the Man Booker Prize in 2008.
Notable books
- Robert K. Merton (1957). Social Theory and Social Structure. Glencoe, IL: Free Press
- Everett Rogers (1962). Diffusion of Innovations. Glencoe, IL: Free Press
- Andrea Dworkin (1987). Intercourse. Free Pr, New York
- Stephen R. Covey (1989). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press, New York
- William R. Everdell (1983). The End of Kings: A History of Republics and Republicans. Free Press, New York
- Francis Fukuyama (1992). The End of History and the Last Man. Free Press, New York
- Richard J. Herrnstein & Charles A. Murray (1994). The Bell Curve: intelligence and class structure in American life. Free Press, New York
- Michael J. Behe (1996). Darwin's Black Box: the biochemical challenge to evolution. The Free Press, New York
- Judith Rich Harris (1998). The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do. Free Press, New York
- Ben Mezrich (2003). Bringing Down the House. Free Press, New York
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2007). Infidel. Free Press, New York
- Robert Draper (2007). Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush. Free Press, New York
- Aravind Adiga (2008). The White Tiger. Free Press, New York
- Carlos Eire (2008). Waiting for Snow in Havana. Free Press, New York
- Sam Harris (2010). The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values. Free Press
External links
- Archived Free Press homepage at Simon & Schuster (captured 15 May 2010)
- Overview of Divisions and Imprints at Simon & Schuster (captured 23 April 2010)
- Free Press (publisher) books
- Defunct book publishing companies of the United States
- Simon & Schuster
- Book publishing company imprints
- Book publishing companies based in New York (state)
- Publishing companies based in New York City
- American companies established in 1947
- Publishing companies established in 1947
- Mass media companies disestablished in 2012
- 1947 establishments in New York (state)
- 2012 disestablishments in New York (state)
- Defunct companies based in New York City