American Book Company
Encyclopedia
The American Book Company (ABC) was an educational book publisher in the United States
that specialized in elementary school
, secondary school
and collegiate-level textbook
s. It is best known for publishing the McGuffey Readers
, which sold 120 million copies between 1836 and 1960.
in 1967 and existed as a division of Litton Educational Publishing, Inc. until being sold to the International Thomson Organization
in the late seventies. Thomson then sold its American Book Company K-12
assets to D. C. Heath and Company
in 1981. The company was absorbed into D. C. Heath and ceased to exist as an imprint
. Any remaining K-12 assets of the American Book Company are now owned by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, which acquired D. C. Heath and Company in 1995.
Many of the college level textbook rights of ABC/Litton were sold by International Thomson as well, to Van Nostrand Reinhold, though some remained under the Wadsworth
imprint at Thomson, which is now Cengage Learning
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that specialized in elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
and collegiate-level textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s. It is best known for publishing the McGuffey Readers
McGuffey Readers
McGuffey Readers were a series of graded primers that were widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, and are still used today in some private schools and in homeschooling....
, which sold 120 million copies between 1836 and 1960.
History
American Book Company was formed in 1890 by the consolidation of Van Antwerp, Bragg and Co., A.S. Barnes & Co., D. Appleton and Co., and Ivison, Blakeman and Co. It was acquired by Litton IndustriesLitton Industries
Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
in 1967 and existed as a division of Litton Educational Publishing, Inc. until being sold to the International Thomson Organization
Thomson Organization
International Thomson Organization was a development of the commercial empire founded by Lord Thomson of Fleet . It was formed in 1978 as a holding company for interests in publishing, travel, and natural resources...
in the late seventies. Thomson then sold its American Book Company K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
assets to D. C. Heath and Company
D. C. Heath and Company
D.C. Heath and Company was an American publishing company located at 125 Spring Street in Lexington, Massachusetts, specializing in textbooks.-History:...
in 1981. The company was absorbed into D. C. Heath and ceased to exist as an imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
. Any remaining K-12 assets of the American Book Company are now owned by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, which acquired D. C. Heath and Company in 1995.
Many of the college level textbook rights of ABC/Litton were sold by International Thomson as well, to Van Nostrand Reinhold, though some remained under the Wadsworth
Wadsworth
- Placenames :*Wadsworth, West Yorkshire, EnglandU.S. places:* Wadsworth, Illinois, village* Wadsworth, Nevada, census-designated place* Wadsworth, Ohio, city* Wadsworth Township, Medina County, Ohio* Wadsworth, Texas, unincorporated community- Other :...
imprint at Thomson, which is now Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning is a publisher of print and digital information services for the academic, professional and library markets, and delivers customized learning solutions for colleges, universities, professors, students, libraries, government agencies, corporations and professionals around the...
.
External links
- American Book Company Records at Syracuse University