Douglas Black (publisher)
Encyclopedia
Douglas McCrae Black was an American lawyer and publishing house executive, president of Doubleday and Company from 1946–1963, and president of the American Book Publishers Council.
Black was born in Queens, New York, NY, the son of John William Black (1861–1956), a newspaper editor, and Flora Elizabeth Blayney (1863–1940). Black was educated at Columbia University
(class of 1916), where he was a member of the Philolexian Society
, and was awarded the Washington Prize, and Columbia Law School
(class of 1918).
On September 11, 1920, Black married Maude T Bergen (1894–1987), daughter of Benjamin Bergen, and they had one child, Virginia Bergen Black (1924–1994). Black was a lawyer in private practice for many years.
When Nelson Doubleday
resigned as president in 1946, Black took over and was president of Doubleday and Company from 1946–1963. By 1947, Doubleday was the largest publisher in the US, with annual sales of over 30 million books.
Black and his wife, Maude Bergen Black were close friends of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
and his wife Mamie Eisenhower
for over 20 years, and Black was responsible for Doubleday publishing Eisenhower's four volumes of autobiography. The "Douglas M. Black Dwight D. Eisenhower Collection", including over 200 letters and notes exchanged is at St. Lawrence University
.
Black was a keen advocate of freedom of speech, and lost a $60,000 court case defending Edmund Wilson
's Memoirs of Hecate County
, which was banned. Black was also involved in trying to publish Vladimir Nabokov
's Lolita
in the U.S.
Black was a trustee of Columbia University
, and a director of The Council on Library Resources.
Black was born in Queens, New York, NY, the son of John William Black (1861–1956), a newspaper editor, and Flora Elizabeth Blayney (1863–1940). Black was educated at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(class of 1916), where he was a member of the Philolexian Society
Philolexian Society
The Philolexian Society of Columbia University is one of the oldest college literary societies in the United States, and the oldest student group at Columbia...
, and was awarded the Washington Prize, and Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
(class of 1918).
On September 11, 1920, Black married Maude T Bergen (1894–1987), daughter of Benjamin Bergen, and they had one child, Virginia Bergen Black (1924–1994). Black was a lawyer in private practice for many years.
When Nelson Doubleday
Nelson Doubleday
Nelson Doubleday was a U.S. book publisher. He was the nephew of author Russell Doubleday, the son of Frank Nelson Doubleday and Neltje Blanchan, and the father of Nelson Doubleday Jr....
resigned as president in 1946, Black took over and was president of Doubleday and Company from 1946–1963. By 1947, Doubleday was the largest publisher in the US, with annual sales of over 30 million books.
Black and his wife, Maude Bergen Black were close friends of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and his wife Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.-Early life:...
for over 20 years, and Black was responsible for Doubleday publishing Eisenhower's four volumes of autobiography. The "Douglas M. Black Dwight D. Eisenhower Collection", including over 200 letters and notes exchanged is at St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
.
Black was a keen advocate of freedom of speech, and lost a $60,000 court case defending Edmund Wilson
Edmund Wilson
Edmund Wilson was an American writer and literary and social critic and noted man of letters.-Early life:Wilson was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. His father, Edmund Wilson, Sr., was a lawyer and served as New Jersey Attorney General. Wilson attended The Hill School, a college preparatory...
's Memoirs of Hecate County
Memoirs of Hecate County
Memoirs of Hecate County is a work of fiction by Edmund Wilson, first published in 1946, but banned in the United States until 1959, when it was reissued with minor revisions by the author....
, which was banned. Black was also involved in trying to publish Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
's Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
in the U.S.
Black was a trustee of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and a director of The Council on Library Resources.