Julian Messner
Julian Messner, Inc. was an American publishing house founded in 1933. Its best-selling books included 1956's Peyton Place. In 1964, the company was acquired and became a division of Pocket Books.[1]
History
Julian Messner, previously an executive with Boni & Liveright, and his wife Kathryn founded the firm in 1933, opening an office on West 40th Street in Manhattan, and planning to publish juvenile books along with a small offering of adult books.[2] They published four books in their first year, including Senator Marlowe's Daughter by Frances Parkinson Keyes.[2]
When Julian Messner died in 1948, Kathryn (they divorced in 1944) became president. At first the idea of a woman president caused concern, and the board appointed a vice-president in charge of the president, an anomaly which soon became clear was not needed. She served as president until her death in August 1964; [3][4] the company was sold by the end of the year to Pocket Books.[1] Pocket was then acquired by Simon & Schuster in 1966.
References
- ^ a b (31 December 1964). Messner Bought by Pocket Books, The New York Times
- ^ a b Toth, Emily. Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious, p. 101 (1980)
- ^ (5 August 1964). Mrs. Kathryn G. Messner, 61, Chief of Publishing House, Dies, The New York Times
- ^ (9 February 1948). Julian Messner, Publisher, Dead; Founder in 1933 and President of Book Firm Offered Award for Tolerance Volume, The New York Times