M. Lincoln Schuster
Max Lincoln Schuster | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Kałusz, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) |
| Died | December 20, 1970 (aged 73) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Publisher |
| Known for | Co-founder of Simon & Schuster; pioneer of mass-market paperback publishing |
Max Lincoln Schuster (originally Max Schuster) ( ; March 2, 1897 – December 20, 1970) was a prominent American publisher and the co-founder of the renowned publishing firm Simon & Schuster. Alongside Richard L. Simon, Robert F. DeGraff, and Leon Shimkin, Schuster was instrumental in establishing Pocket Books and pioneering the mass-market paperback sector. His publishing portfolio included significant works such as the Story of Civilization volumes authored by Will Durant and Ariel Durant.
Early life and education
Born into a Jewish family on March 2, 1897, in Kałusz, then part of Austria-Hungary and now located in Ukraine, Max Schuster was brought to the United States by his American parents, Barnet and Esther Stieglitz Schuster, when he was just six weeks old. Barnet managed a stationery and cigar shop in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, where Max attended DeWitt Clinton High School. It was during his high school years that he adopted "Lincoln" as his middle name, inspired by his admiration for President Abraham Lincoln. At 16, Schuster began his higher education and graduated from Columbia University's Pulitzer Graduate School of Journalism in 1917.
Early career
Schuster’s entry into publishing started in 1913 as a copy boy for the New York Evening World. While studying at Columbia, he served as a correspondent for outlets including the Boston Evening Transcript, United Press, and various magazines before joining United Press’s Washington bureau.
During the First World War, he took on the role of chief of publicity for the Treasury Department’s Bureau of War Risk Insurance and worked as an aide to Admiral T. J. Cowle, producing pamphlets to promote war bond sales.
Simon and Schuster
In 1924, Schuster co-established Simon & Schuster, where he held positions as president, editor-in-chief, and chairman. After meeting Richard L. Simon in 1921, they each invested $3,000 to launch their publishing venture. Leveraging the popularity of crossword puzzles at the time, they released The First Cross Word Puzzle Book, compiled by Margaret Farrar. To mitigate risk, it was initially published under "Plaza Publishing." The book sold over 100,000 copies within three months and exceeded one million sales by 1925, making it a bestseller.
Schuster supported both scholarly and popular literature, with a particular interest in philosophy, history, and literary works. He played a crucial role in bringing Will and Ariel Durant’s Story of Civilization series to print after encountering their inexpensive pamphlets. Schuster persuaded Will Durant to author The Story of Philosophy, which became a bestseller in 1927 and marked the beginning of a five-decade collaboration.
He also edited A Treasury of the World's Great Letters, inspired by Beethoven’s correspondence. Drawing on his journalism experience, Schuster embraced a populist approach—seeking straightforward concepts that met market demand—and excelled at promoting titles with energetic yet succinct messaging. His unique writing style influenced Simon & Schuster’s editorial voice characterized by superlatives, wordplay, and memorable one-liners; he also co-authored an advertising column known as the Inner Sanctum. The company adopted Jean-François Millet's painting The Sower as its logo to represent the dissemination of knowledge.
Known for his thick glasses and austere attire, Schuster maintained a somewhat reserved social demeanor.
In 1966, he retired from Simon & Schuster and sold his shares to Leon Shimkin for approximately $2 million. The agreement included a two-year non-compete clause preventing him from publishing. Following this period, he collaborated editorially with his wife Ray until his death less than four years after retirement.
Personal life
Schuster was wed to Ray Haskell, a man who had three daughters from an earlier marriage. He passed away on December 20, 1970, at his residence in New York City. His funeral services took place at Temple Emanu-El located in Manhattan.
Awards
- Medallion commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Columbia School of Journalism (1962)