—This concern was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, July, 1900. Mr. Henry D. Newson was its first President. He was succeeded in that office by Mr. Everett Yeaw, the present President, in April, 1912. Mr. Newson severed all relations with the Company on January 1, 1920.
Newson & Company immediately on its organization began the publication of educational books, the first of which was Buehler’s Modern English Grammar, the original of the present Revised Edition, published in 1914.
WORLD BOOK COMPANY.
—The house was established in 1905 by Casper W. Hodgson. “It was really founded,” Mr. Hodgson writes, “in the Philippine Islands, a little farther west or east than any other American house has started.” The first office was in Manila, but soon another was established at Park Hill, Yonkers, N. Y.
The first books issued were six Philippine publications. The World Book Company now does a considerable business not only in the Philipine Islands, but also in the United States and Latin America. O. S. Reimold and M. A. Purcell have been connected with the business almost from its beginning. M. J. Hazelton, who joined the Company in 1908, has been the Philippine representative of the house. Professor John W. Ritchie has given his full time to the organization since 1915.
The titles of the first educational books published for use in American schools are Ritchie’s Human Physiology, and Wohlfarth-Rogers’ New World Spellers.
ROW, PETERSON & COMPANY.
—This firm was organized in February, 1906. R. K. Row was made President and Isaac Peterson, Secretary-Treasurer. A few years later Charles D. Kennedy and J. R. Sparks purchased stock in the Company and were made directors, Mr. Kennedy becoming Secretary. In 1914, B. E. Richardson purchased stock and became Vice President. In 1919, Mr. Peterson died and Mr. Kennedy was made Secretary-Treasurer.
The first books were published in the spring of 1906. These included Robbins and Row’s Studies in English, Salisbury’s The Theory of Teaching, Frazier’s The National Speller, Hatch and Haselwood’s Elementary Agriculture, and Hurty’s Life with Health.