John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (ˈwaɪli), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in print and electronically, as well as online products and services, training materials, and educational materials for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students.
The company was established in 1807 when Charles Wiley opened a print shop in Manhattan. The company was the publisher of 19th century American literary figures like James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe, as well as of legal, religious, and other non-fiction titles. The firm took its current name in 1865. Wiley later shifted its focus to scientific, technical, and engineering subject areas, abandoning its literary interests.
Wiley's son John (born in Flatbush, New York, October 4, 1808; died in East Orange, New Jersey, February 21, 1891) took over the business when Charles Wiley died in 1826. The firm was successively named Wiley, Lane & Co., then Wiley & Putnam, and then John Wiley. The company acquired its present name in 1876, when John's second son William H. Wiley joined his brother Charles in the business.
Through the 20th century, the company expanded its publishing activities, the sciences, and higher education.
In 1989, Wiley acquired the life science publisher Liss.
In 1996, Wiley acquired the German technical publisher VCH.
In 1997, Wiley acquired the professional publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold (the successor to the company started by David Van Nostrand) from Thomson Learning.
In 1999, Wiley acquired the professional publisher Jossey-Bass from Pearson.
In 2005, Wiley acquired the British medical publisher Whurr.
Wiley marked its bicentennial in 2007. In conjunction with the anniversary, the company published Knowledge for Generations: Wiley and the Global Publishing Industry, 1807-2007, depicting Wiley's role in the evolution of publishing against a social, cultural, and economic backdrop.
