E. Haldeman-Julius
Encyclopedia
E. Haldeman-Julius (1889–1951) was a Jewish-American
socialist writer, atheist thinker, social reformer and publisher
. He is best remembered as the head of Haldeman-Julius Publications, the creator of a series of pamphlets known as "Little Blue Books," total sales of which ran into the hundreds of millions of copies.
on the son of a bookbinder. His parents were Jewish emigrants who fled Russia
and immigrated
to America to escape religious persecution.
As a boy, Emanuel read voraciously. Because literature and pamphlets produced by the socialists were inexpensive, Julius read them and became convinced of their truth. He joined the Socialist Party
before World War I
.
with a large national circulation that was mentioned, among other places, in the Jack London
novel The Iron Heel
, and later for publishing the Little Blue Books
(mentioned by Louis L'Amour
in his autobiography Education of a Wandering Man).
Along with his first wife, Marcet Haldeman
(whose last name he adopted in hyphenate), After purchasing the printing operation of the "Appeal to Reason" in Girard, Kansas
, Haldeman-Julius began printing 3.5" x 5" pocket books on cheap pulp paper (similar to that used in pulp magazines), stapled in paper cover. They were first were called The Appeal's Pocket Series and sold in 1919 for 25 cents. The covers were either red or yellow. Over the next several years Haldeman-Julius changed the name successively to The People's Pocket Series, Appeal Pocket Series, Ten Cent Pocket Series, Five Cent Pocket Series, Pocket Series and finally in 1923, Little Blue Books. The five cent price of the books remained in place for many years. Many titles of classic literature were given lurid titles in order to increase sales. Eventually, millions of copies per year were sold in the late 1920's.
The couple had two children: Alice Haldeman-Julius Deloach (b. 1917 - d. 1991) and Henry Haldeman-Julius (b. 1919) (who later changed his name to Henry Julius Haldeman). They adopted Josephine Haldeman-Julius Roselle (b. 1910).
Marcet and Emanuel legally separated in 1934. Marcet died in 1941, and a year later Haldeman-Julius married Susan Haney, an employee. Henry continued the business after Emanuel's death.
in his swimming pool
July 31, 1951. His son Henry took over his father's publishing efforts, and the books continued to be sold until the printing house burned down on July 4, 1978.
Haldeman-Julius' papers are held at Pittsburg State University
in Pittsburg, Kansas
, a few miles down the road from Girard in the southeastern corner of the state.
Rolf Potts on E. Haldeman-Julius in The Believer
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
socialist writer, atheist thinker, social reformer and publisher
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
. He is best remembered as the head of Haldeman-Julius Publications, the creator of a series of pamphlets known as "Little Blue Books," total sales of which ran into the hundreds of millions of copies.
Early years
Emanuel Julius was born July 30, 1889, in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
on the son of a bookbinder. His parents were Jewish emigrants who fled Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and immigrated
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to America to escape religious persecution.
As a boy, Emanuel read voraciously. Because literature and pamphlets produced by the socialists were inexpensive, Julius read them and became convinced of their truth. He joined the Socialist Party
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...
before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Career
Haldeman-Julius is most noted as the editor of Appeal to Reason, a socialist newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
with a large national circulation that was mentioned, among other places, in the Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
novel The Iron Heel
The Iron Heel
The Iron Heel is a dystopian novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.Generally considered to be "the earliest of the modern Dystopian", it chronicles the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the United States. It is arguably the novel in which Jack London's socialist views are...
, and later for publishing the Little Blue Books
Little Blue Books
Little Blue Books are a series of small staple-bound books published by the Haldeman-Julius Publishing Company of Girard, Kansas . They were extremely popular, and achieved a total of more than 300 million booklets sold over the series' lifetime...
(mentioned by Louis L'Amour
Louis L'Amour
Louis Dearborn L'Amour was an American author. His books consisted primarily of Western fiction novels , however he also wrote historical fiction , science fiction , nonfiction , as well as poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into movies...
in his autobiography Education of a Wandering Man).
Along with his first wife, Marcet Haldeman
Anna Marcet Haldeman
Anna Marcet Haldeman was an American feminist, playwright, editor, author, and bank president.-Biography:She was born in Girard, Kansas, the daughter of physician Henry Winfield Haldeman and his wife Alice. Alice was the sister of social activist Jane Addams. Anna Haldeman was the wife of activist...
(whose last name he adopted in hyphenate), After purchasing the printing operation of the "Appeal to Reason" in Girard, Kansas
Girard, Kansas
Girard is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,789.- History :...
, Haldeman-Julius began printing 3.5" x 5" pocket books on cheap pulp paper (similar to that used in pulp magazines), stapled in paper cover. They were first were called The Appeal's Pocket Series and sold in 1919 for 25 cents. The covers were either red or yellow. Over the next several years Haldeman-Julius changed the name successively to The People's Pocket Series, Appeal Pocket Series, Ten Cent Pocket Series, Five Cent Pocket Series, Pocket Series and finally in 1923, Little Blue Books. The five cent price of the books remained in place for many years. Many titles of classic literature were given lurid titles in order to increase sales. Eventually, millions of copies per year were sold in the late 1920's.
The couple had two children: Alice Haldeman-Julius Deloach (b. 1917 - d. 1991) and Henry Haldeman-Julius (b. 1919) (who later changed his name to Henry Julius Haldeman). They adopted Josephine Haldeman-Julius Roselle (b. 1910).
Marcet and Emanuel legally separated in 1934. Marcet died in 1941, and a year later Haldeman-Julius married Susan Haney, an employee. Henry continued the business after Emanuel's death.
Death and legacy
Haldeman-Julius drownedDrowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
in his swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
July 31, 1951. His son Henry took over his father's publishing efforts, and the books continued to be sold until the printing house burned down on July 4, 1978.
Haldeman-Julius' papers are held at Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...
in Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
, a few miles down the road from Girard in the southeastern corner of the state.
Selected works
- The Militant Agnostic. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1995. (Orig. pub. 1926.)
- My First Twenty-Five Years. Girard, KS: Haldeman-Julius Publications, 1949.
- My Second Twenty-Five Years. Girard, KS: Haldeman-Julius Publications, 1949.
- The World of Haldeman-Julius. Compiled by Albert Mordell. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1960.
Further reading
- Burnett, Betty. "Haldeman-Julius, Emanuel." American National Biography. Ed. John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes. 24 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
- Tim Davenport, "The Appeal to Reason: Forerunner of Haldeman-Julius Publications", Big Blue Newsletter No. 3 (2004). Retrieved November 16, 2009.
External links
- More on Haldeman-Julius from the Axe Library
- Haldeman-Julius Family Tree on haldeman-julius.org
- http://www.believermag.com/issues/200809/?read=article_potts
Rolf Potts on E. Haldeman-Julius in The Believer