Timeline

Oxford, United Kingdom

Profile

Imprints

1897-1969 [Back to Top]

1897	B.H. Blackwell (the booksellers) publishes its first book.
1917	Munksgaard Publishers (Copenhagen) is founded.
1922	Basil Blackwell & Mott publishing house established.
1926	Blackwell Publishers formed.
Early 1900s	Blackwell publishes such authors as WH Auden, Graham Green, JRR Tolkien and Enid Blyton.
Post WWII	Blackwell becomes a schools publisher.
1939	Sir Basil Blackwell plans to launch Blackwell Medical Publishers. At the last minute, the name was changed to Blackwell Science Publishers.
1950s	Per Saugman, Managing Director of Blackwell Scientific, launches Journal of Haematology.
1953	Blackwell agrees to publish the works of Ludwig Wittgenstein.
1950-60	Leadership of Blackwell passes from Sir Basil Blackwell to Henry Schollick and then to Jim Feather.
1963	Blackwell Scientific Publishers, B H Blackwell and Blackwell & Mott acquire Munksgaard. Blackwell Scientific later became the sole owner.
1966	Edinburgh office opened.

1970-1990 [Back to Top]

1970s	The bookseller side of Munksgaard is sold to the managment.
Late 1970s	Blackwells acquires Martin Robertson and a new managing director, David Martin.
1984	Basil Blackwell opens first North American office.
1980s	Blackwell Polity, a joint venture to publish innovative work in social and political theory, is set up. Blackwell Scientific Publishers joins the Adonis Consortium.
1998	Financial demands of the scholarly publishing program and introduction of the National Curriculum led to the decision to sell the educational software, high school, trade, and general publishing business.
1987	Blackwell acquires Collins Professional and Technical.
1987	Bob Campbell becomes Managing Director of Blackwell Scienctific.

1991-2000 [Back to Top]

1990s	Company renamed Blackwell Publishers. Rene Olivieri becomes Managing Director. Blackwell Publishers focuses on international textbooks and journals.
Late 1990s	US offices move from New York to Boston.
1993	Blackwell Scientific Publications becomes Blackwell Science.
1997	Blackwell Science launches Blackwell Healthcare Communication Ltd, a pharmeceutical communication company.
1997	Blackwell Science acquires Bullet.
1999	Blackwell Sciencec merges Bullet with Blackwell Healthcare to form Avenue and moves to new offices in Chiswick.
1999	Blackwell Synergy, online provider of journal content, is launched.
1999	Blackwell and Swets Xeitlinger BV agree to combine Swets Subscription Services and Blackwell's Information Services.
2000	The Blackwell subscription agency is sold to Swets Zeitlinger.
2000	Blackwell Publishers merges with Blackwell Science. The Blackwell family owns the company.

2001-2006 [Back to Top]

2001	The Danish langage Munksgaard medical textbook business is sold.
2002	Taylor & Francis offers £300 for Blackwell Publishing. After some discussion, the Blackwell family decides to refuse the offer.
2003	Blackwell completes acquisition of Iowa State Press (founded in 1924 as Collegiate Press) and changes its name to Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
2004	Blackwell purchases Food and Nutrition Press, which publishes 11 journals and 50 books.
2004	Blackwell acquires BMJ Books from BMJ Publishing Group.
2006	Blackwell acquires Brandywine Press, publisher of college textbooks in American history and American literature.
2006	John Wiley& Sons acquires Blackwell Publishing for ₤572 million. Blackwell brings to Wiley some 825 journals in the sciences and social sciences and humanities, many from societies, and some 600 books a year.