We hope to build on Knowledge for Generation’s compelling story about Wiley’s culture by tapping into the Company’s enduring collaborative relationships with authors, customers, partners, colleagues, and others.
Please help us capture Wiley’s untold history -- past, present, and future -- and contribute your anecdotes and stories here.
With thanks,
William J. Pesce, President and CEO
Peter Booth Wiley, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Alain Grund, former president of the International Publishers Association, remembers Charles Ellis
May 9, 2008
I had met Charles Ellis on several occasions in the course of our respective careers, but we really became closer to each other when, in 1995, we were given the responsibility to lead the International Publishers Association.
The task was not an easy one: there were multiple difficulties inside and outside. Charles Ellis was at the same time a shrewd decision-maker and a remarkable diplomat. Apparently we formed a good team: when our term came to its end in 2000, IPA was in good shape.
Francophile and francophone, Charles Ellis did much to develop the exchanges between American and French publishers. In recognition, the French Government granted him the title of "Chevalier des Arts et Lettres." Needless to say that, with such common interests, we became close friends.
When after his retirement he came more frequently to France - and we happened to become neighbours in Paris- we had more time to meet. Thus, our exchanges became richer: Charles was a man of great culture, interested in philosophy as well as in contemporary history.
Like many of us I shall miss his kindness, his sense of humor linked to a very keen insight and a great interest for people.
A gentleman.
Wiley Mourns the Loss of Former President & CEO, Charles R. Ellis May 9, 2008
Charles R. Ellis
A graduate of Princeton University, Charles began his career teaching at a preparatory school and working for Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher and activist. Charles soon found a balance between the intellectual life and concerns of making a living by turning to publishing. After successful stints in executive positions at Pergamon Press, D.C. Heath, and Elsevier Science Publishing Company, he joined John Wiley & Sons, Inc, in 1988, where he served as the President & CEO from 1990-98.
Charles led our company from the difficult days of the late 1980s into the sustained period of growth and profitability that continues into the present. A publisher by temperament and trade, Charles was instrumental in bringing about the company's revival and initiating its transition to a truly global corporation. On his watch, Wiley became profitable again; executed major strategic acquisitions including VCH Publishing Group, Alan R. Liss, and Jossey-Bass; was listed on the NYSE; and launched its first online ventures. In the year of Charles's retirement, the Financial Times ranked Wiley as the world's 27th most respected company.
Beyond his role in Wiley's resurgence, Charles has acted as an influential advocate for the worldwide publishing community. With a cosmopolitan perspective enhanced by European postings with Pergamon Press and Elsevier in his pre-Wiley days, Charles was President of the International Publishers Association. He was also Chair of the Association of American Publishers from 1992-94; in 1998, he received the AAP's highest honor, the Curtis Benjamin Award. He was an avid supporter of the Digital Object Identifier, a code embedded in digital content that helped lay the groundwork for publishing online; and worked tirelessly on behalf of intellectual property rights.
Those fortunate to have known and worked with this charming, sophisticated, and diplomatic man will miss him terribly. On behalf of the entire Wiley community, we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Sandi, and their family.
In lieu of flowers, donations to World Education, Inc., 44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210 (wei@worlded.org) are requested.
John Morris, Raymond V. Marziano, and Jim Lawler, Brady Palmer Printing, Carmel, NY, (Wiley vendor)
We are not surprised at the great success you [Wiley] have had for over 200 years. In our experience as a supplier we have found a sharp business acumen, a genuine and sincere business relationship coupled with a great spirit of cooperation and integrity. We are proud that we have been privileged to be part of your success and we look forward to continuing with you into your third century.Paul Yip, Kyodo Printing Co. (Singapore) Pte Ltd, (Wiley printer)
We are enormously honored to be able to work with Wiley on their publications for the past 23 years and were indeed privileged of being part of Wiley's success on the Bicentennial celebrations, jointly looking forward to Wiley's Quadricentennial celebration in the Global Publishing Industry and beyond!
Jim Pentecost, President/CEO of Dickinson Press, Grand Rapids, MI, (Wiley vendor)
Congratulations on 200 years of top rated publishing. Dickinson Press, with only a 124 year history, has been proud to serve John Wiley and Sons for many years. The relationship we have had with all Wiley colleagues has always been at the highest degree of honesty, integrity, and respect.
We wish you continued success into the next 200 years.
A note from Harm de Blij, author of Regions, to Bonnie Lieberman, SVP of Higher Education. Dr. de Blij has been a Wiley author of Higher Education Geography texts for over 30 years. His flagship text, Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts, is now in its 13th edition.
Video: deBlij congratulates Wiley on its 200th anniversary (0:17)
Windows Media Player | Quicktime
Dear Bonnie,
Just a note to thank you for your truly generous and kind words in the magnificent Wiley volume, and for the coverage of Regions in the text -- I was astonished and honored and it brought back so many memories dating nearly fifty years past. It was my great good fortune not only to have become a member of the Wiley Family, but to have benefited from your timely and impactful arrival, which marked an upturn in the College Division's trajectory that is still continuing. All of us Wiley authors are in your debt, and please know that we recognize it...
With warm regards,
Harm
Stefan Usansky (Wiley retiree, Sales Manager Library Supply) reflects on his relationship with Jim Durrant, Wiley’s former U.K. Trade Manager, who recently passed away. Jim retired from Wiley in 1981.
Jim Durrant and Stefan Usansky, 1981 (Chichester)
I have three particularly vivid memories of Jim. He was my sales manager for the first ten years of my career with Wiley and, as a sales rep covering a large part of the UK, he insisted that I phone him every Friday to give him feedback on what sort of week I had experienced. This was in the days before mobile phones when it was often extremely difficult to find a telephone box that was working and didn't have a long queue waiting for people to use it. When I did finally get through I often used to tell Jim how frustrated I was with booksellers who annoyed me by asking me to sign return notes for "old" books but weren't prepared to give me orders for new publications, weren't prepared to participate in Wiley promotions or give me window displays for an "exciting" new series of titles. Jim used to respond either by laughing or (not very often!) sympathising. But he always used to tell me that "It's all part of the rich tapestry of life, my boy." My weekly calls to Our Great Leader were always uplifting.
One Friday I failed to phone Jim and the following day I received a telegram - Are you still alive? Jim.
Thirty years ago the company was much smaller and consequently there wasn't the need for all the bureaucracy and form-filling that is required today. For example, job descriptions were much simpler and when I took over the role as Sales Manager in 1983 my job description was:
- Sell more books at a profit.
- Continue to strengthen the Wiley image.
- Sell more books at a profit.
These are perfect examples of Jim Durrant. Keep things uncomplicated and work with a smile.
Deni Auclair, Wiley colleague, VP Corporate Development
I'm lucky enough to have a job that takes me to fun places and allows me to meet many interesting people (actually, I think that's the definition of just about any job in publishing). One of the places my job took me was Moscow, for the due diligence aspect of the acquisition of Maris, now TES (part of WPT). The team included Deirdre Silver (Legal), Rosie Altoft, Scott Penny, Andy Townsend, and Gregory St. John (WPT), and myself (Planning & Development). Most of our four days there were taken with going through documents, talking to people, touring the workplace, meetings – in short, all of those things that fall under due diligence.
One night, Gregory, Andy, Deirdre and I went out for dinner with our translator to what was purported to be a popular tourist restaurant. One of the items on the menu, which had English translations next to the Russian language item, was: "meats farce, decocted and involved with a flapjack." After going back and forth trying to figure out what the dish was, it came to us – ravioli!
On the flight home, before it even took off, the seat in front of me lowered as its occupant prepared to sleep – the occupant turning out to be Sandra Day O'Connor, who had been in Moscow for the annual American Legal Association meeting. She soon drifted off to sleep. Sitting next to Gregory, I raised my eyebrows and remarked what a great story it would be to be able to say that I had a supreme court justice sleeping in my lap!
The deal took the longest to complete of any I've worked on to date – 367 days. But it has proved to be worth it.
Richard Lynch, Wiley retiree
Richard Lynch is a retiree who has worked at Wiley for over 25 years. Read Dick’s humorous account of his dynamic career in publishing as it relates to Wiley’s history.
Peter Gölitz, Editor-in-Chief “Angewandte Chemie“
In 1807 Goethe wrote, Beethoven composed, Goya painted, Humboldt researched, Napoleon ruled– though only in continental Europe; George III reigned in England, Thomas Jefferson presided over a “wise and frugal Government” in the USA, an emperor of the Qing Dynasty ruled in China in times of social unrest, and Tenno Kokaku was the leader of Japan during a period of peace that had lasted hundreds of years – the millers milled, the blacksmiths hammered, and in New York Charles Wiley opened up a small printing shop. And what has grown out of these modest beginnings is truly amazing! John Wiley & Sons is today a global publisher that is highly esteemed not only in view of economic figures, but also because of the breadth of its enterprise and particularly the quality of its products. […] To continually spark enthusiasm in chemistry and incite new ideas with every issue of Angewandte Chemie are especially gratifying for me as I stand on the eve of my 25th anniversary as Editor-in-Chief […].
Dr. Willi Meier, DECHEMA e.V. and European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE)
[…] In recent decades Wiley published several new journals which are of great interest for the Chemical Engineering Community. Current developments in the discipline, such as process intensification and micro reaction technology or nanotechnology, are covered in special topic volumes of journals like Chemie Ingenieur Technik and Chemical Engineering & Technology. Wiley’s books have a recognized quality of their own, while Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry is still the bible of the Chemical Engineering discipline. […] I believe that publication of reviewed articles is essential for the progress of chemical engineering, and the community owes a great deal to Wiley for being such a profuse publisher over the last 200 years.
Joe Longo, Offset Impressions, Inc.
"To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author."
-Charles Caleb Colton
Congratulations to Wiley on 200 years of success and growth. We are very proud of our association with John Wiley and Sons Publishing.
Kristen Mirenda, Wiley colleague, Managing Producer, Online Channel Development
I've heard that since Wiley moved its headquarters to Hoboken, its impact on the community has attracted many locals to the company as employees. I think I might have been the very first one.
In early 2001, I was living in Hoboken and looking for a position as a web producer. One cold day, I was walking along the Manhattan waterfront with a friend, marveling at all the construction happening on the Jersey side. My friend mentioned that one of the sites -- just 5 short blocks from my apartment -- was going to be the new headquarters for John Wiley & Sons. I knew the company by its great reputation, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the prospect of working so close to home was appealing! Especially on a slushy day in February. But the chances had to be slim they'd have the perfect job just waiting for me.
I decided to find out, and went to wiley.com. As it happened, it listed a web producer position that was perfect. I liked Wiley, they liked me, and in a few weeks I was hired. In my orientation session -- the one where Will spends an hour speaking with new employees -- I shared that I had found my way to Wiley because I had been watching their future headquarters going up around the corner from my home. Will said I was the first employee he knew of who came via the Hoboken connection. There may be others -- but I'll take his word for it!
I did have to wait well over a year for the new building to be completed, during which time I commuted to Third Avenue. I used to visit the construction site on weekends and whisper, “Hurry! Hurry!” But today Wiley is in Hoboken, and because of a few happy coincidences I’m at Wiley, and I could not be more glad.
