Biography M. Lincoln Schuster

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 career
1.3 simon & schuster
1.4 notable books published
1.5 awards
1.6 clubs , memberships
1.7 marriage , children

biography
early life

schuster born jewish family on march 2, 1897 in kaluz, austria. parents, barnet , esther stieglitz schuster, american citizens , brought schuster america @ age 6 weeks. barnet schuster ran stationery , cigar store in washington heights, , there max attended dewitt clinton high school. while in high school, max schuster adopted lincoln middle name honor interest in president abraham lincoln. schuster entered college @ age 16, , attended pulitzer graduate school of journalism @ columbia university , received degree in 1917.

early career

schuster s first job in publishing copy boy new york evening world in 1913. during time @ columbia university, correspondent boston evening transcript, united press , contributed various magazines. later became member of united press washington staff.

during world war i, schuster chief of publicity bureau of war risk insurance @ treasury department , aide admiral t. j. cowle, paymaster general of navy. job write pamphlets support country s war bond drive.

simon & schuster

schuster co-founded simon & schuster in 1921 , on years served president, editor-in-chief, , chairman of board. schuster met richard l. simon in 1921 while schuster editing trade magazine , simon piano salesman join publisher boni & liveright salesman. founded simon & schuster in 1924 investment of $3,000 each. @ time, crossword puzzles popular in newspapers, , simon s aunt suggested publish book of them have more work on. took advice, opened office in manhattan (at 37 west fifty-seventh street) 2 desks facing each other, hired margaret farrar compile first cross word puzzle book print run of 3,600 copies. advertised book in newspapers right next newspaper s crossword puzzle — although, since uncertain book s success, credited plaza publishing not associated potential failure. within 3 months, had sold more 100,000 copies. 1925, had sold on 1 million books , had made appearances on publishers weekly s bestseller list.

schuster had liking both academic subjects , populist subject-matter. championed works of philosophy, history , great literature. schuster responsible publication of , ariel durant series on story of civilization. schuster discovered durant s work in series of pamphlets called little blue books published haldeman-julius , sold ten cents copy. convinced durant write story of philosophy became bestseller in 1927. relationship turned 50-year undertaking , wife ariel write story of civilization.

schuster edited treasury of world s great letters, ancient times our own time. schuster began collecting , copying letters after reading beethoven s letters immortal beloved.

his background in journalism gave schuster biographer al silverman described populist bent. in new york herald, reviewer lewis gannet wrote, have been, are, be, newspaperman in book publishing business. in memoir, life: memoir of other people, michael korda described how max schuster worked. korda said schuster rose every morning , breakfasted @ oak room of plaza hotel, clip articles morning newspapers looking ideas books.

schuster s style impacted both style , simon & schuster. schuster s prose, korda wrote, unmistakable , on years became s&s house style, heady, oracular mash of superlatives, puns, , one-liners people @ s&s write yard max spoke. korda described how schuster, understood, few people in publishing have, power of simple ideas. nobody better @ inventing books filled need, or @ describing them kind of enthusiasm sold them in quantity, or @ breaking down reasons buying them one-line sentences. schuster showcased prose writing (with simon) advertising column called inner sanctum. schuster chose jean-françois millet s sower logo simon & schuster representation of disseminating knowledge.

schuster described al silverman wore thick glasses, severe clothes , tended uncomfortable in presence of other people.

in 1966, schuster retired , sold interest in simon & schuster leon shimkin around $2 million. part of agreement, schuster excluded publishing 2 years. @ end of 2 years, schuster formed editorial partnership wife, ray schuster, schuster died within 4 years of retirement.

notable books published

the story of civilization durant , ariel durant
men of art
men of music
men of mathematics
how read book
how raise dog
how think straight
how torture friends
how play winning checkers
how start housekeeping
how improve memory
how win friends , influence people
a treasury of world s greatest letters, ancient days our own time

awards

columbia school of journalism, 50th anniversary medallion (1962)

clubs , memberships

american geographical society, fellow
friends of script mathematics, member
bibliographical society of america, member
shakespeare fellowship, member
dutch treat club, member
lotos club, member
book table, member
overseas press club, member
pulitzer school of journalism, member
montefiore , new york jewish hospitals, trustee
columbia school of journalism, president of alumni group

marriage , children

schuster married ray haskell. ray had 3 daughters previous marriage.