Prentice Hall
| Company type | Subsidiary (formerly independent) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Educational publishing |
| Founded | October 13, 1913 |
| Founder | Charles Gerstenberg, Richard Ettinger |
| Fate | Brand ended as independent in 2019; K-12 titles transferred to Savvas Learning Company |
| Headquarters | Bergen County, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Textbooks, professional books, loose-leaf reference services, trade books |
| Parent | Pearson plc (until 2019); K-12 division sold to Savvas Learning Company in 2019 |
Prentice Hall stood as a prominent American publisher specializing in educational content for both K–12 and higher education sectors, offering materials in print and digital formats. Established on October 13, 1913, by law professor Charles Gerstenberg alongside his student Richard Ettinger—who chose the company’s name based on their mothers' maiden names—Prentice Hall earned a reputation for its textbooks, professional literature, and loose-leaf reference services. The publisher also released trade books authored by distinguished writers such as Norman Vincent Peale. In 1979, the company broadened its scope by acquiring the training firm Deltak.
In 1984, Gulf+Western purchased Prentice Hall and incorporated it into Simon & Schuster's publishing division. Following this acquisition, several subsidiaries were divested: Deltak and Resource Systems were sold to National Education Center, while Reston Publishing was shuttered. By 1989, Macmillan Inc. acquired Prentice Hall Information Services, and by 1991, trade book publishing activities had ceased.
After further corporate transformations, Paramount—the successor to Gulf+Western—was acquired by Viacom in 1994. Prentice Hall’s legal and financial services segments were sold to CSC Networks and subsequently became part of Wolters Kluwer. In 1998, Simon & Schuster’s educational division, including Prentice Hall, was acquired by Pearson plc. Pearson then merged Prentice Hall’s higher education and technical reference titles into its Pearson Education division.
In 2019, Pearson divested its U.S. K-12 educational publishing division, which was rebranded as Savvas Learning Company. The transfer of Prentice Hall’s K-12 titles and associated web assets to Savvas marked the conclusion of Prentice Hall as an independent brand while allowing its legacy to continue within a new corporate framework.
History
Prentice Hall was founded on October 13, 1913, by law professor Charles Gerstenberg and his student Richard Ettinger, who named the firm after their mothers' maiden names. Originally known as Prentice-Hall, the company built a strong presence through its trade publications, textbooks serving various educational levels, loose-leaf information products, and professional works. Its acquisition of the training organization Deltak in 1979 expanded its offerings.
The acquisition by Gulf+Western in 1984 brought Prentice Hall under Simon & Schuster's publishing umbrella. This led to restructuring that included selling subsidiaries like Deltak and Resource Systems to National Education Center and closing Reston Publishing. By 1989, Macmillan Inc. had purchased Prentice Hall Information Services, and trade book production ceased by 1991.
Corporate ownership shifted again when Viacom acquired Paramount (formerly Gulf+Western) in 1994. Prentice Hall’s legal and financial services divisions were sold off and eventually integrated into Wolters Kluwer. In 1998, Pearson plc acquired Simon & Schuster’s educational arm including Prentice Hall, incorporating its higher education and technical reference titles into Pearson Education.
The sale of Pearson’s U.S. K-12 educational publishing business in 2019 led to the creation of Savvas Learning Company. This changeover included transferring Prentice Hall’s K-12 titles and digital properties to Savvas, effectively ending the brand’s independent existence but maintaining its market influence under new ownership.
Prominent Publications
Prentice Hall is known for releasing significant academic works, including Magruder's American Government, the biology textbook authored by Ken Miller and Joe Levine, as well as sociology volumes by John Macionis. Its collection on artificial intelligence features seminal titles such as Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Stuart J. Russell and Peter Norvig, alongside Paul Graham's ANSI Common Lisp. The publisher has also been responsible for influential programming literature, including Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie's The C Programming Language and Andrew S. Tanenbaum's Operating Systems: Design and Implementation.
Operating under Prentice Hall, Winthrop Publishers, based in Cambridge, introduced a programming book series during the mid-1970s overseen by editor Richard W. Conway. Additionally, the imprint produced notable children's literature by Dennis Nolan, featuring titles like Big Pig (1976) and The Joy of Chickens (1981).
Contributions to Personal Computer History
Reston Publishing, a subsidiary of Prentice Hall, was instrumental in the technical publishing domain amid the rise of microcomputers. During a period when the personal computer industry was in its infancy and software options were limited, Reston focused on non-expert audiences with publications such as Marlin Ouverson's Computer Anatomy for Beginners. The company subsequently built a robust portfolio of programming manuals that became vital tools for early users of microcomputers.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Educational publishing companies of the United States
- Book publishing companies based in New Jersey
- Computer book publishing companies
- Educational book publishing companies
- Textbook publishing companies
- Companies based in Bergen County, New Jersey
- Publishing companies established in 1913
- 1913 establishments in New Jersey
- American companies established in 1913
- Gulf and Western Industries
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment