Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.(A)
In 1768 Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell publish what they called a “Dictionary of Arts and
Sciences” – Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc (EBI). Its mission was ‘ serving society’s need to know’.
By 1815, when the fifth edition was published, the set had ballooned to 20 volumes from earlier 3
volumes.
Throughout the 19th century and into the 20th, when the company was purchased by Americans
and moved to the U.S., EBI continued to enhance its reputation as the premier source of
knowledge. The company recruited notable scientists and scholars, including Thomas Malthus,
Sigmund Freud, and Marie Curie, to contribute. It expounded upon such cutting-edge topics as
taboos, anarchism, ether, and Darwin’s theory of evolution. As demand mushroomed, it hired a
permanent editorial staff and began printing—and updating—annually.
In 1943, William Benton extended the company’s global reach and expanded its product line,
acquiring in the process Compton’s Encyclopedia and dictionary publisher G. & C. Merriam.
In 1981, EBI entered the digital age, it offered an electronic version to business users of Lexis-
Nexis
In 1989, the company moved further into the electronic age when it published Compton’s
Encyclopedia on CD and the target audience was schools and libraries. Still in the same year, the
company boasted 2,300 sales.
EBI moved door to door, talking with individuals and families.
