"There never has been a worse time to start a new press," Frank Wardlaw said when invited to found a scholarly publishing arm at Texas A&M University. Twenty-five years later, the press he nonetheless founded in 1974 proves that the worst of times can be made the best of times with the right people, the right mission, and the right support.
Henry Dethloff, a longtime observer of the Texas A&M scene, tells the story of Texas A&M University Press beginning with its founding under the leadership of the inimitable Wardlaw--a monumental figure in American university publishing circles. The Press's story is peopled with committed supporters such as Betty and Joe Hiram Moore '38 and Sara and John H. Lindsey '44. The roles of University presidents and administrators figure throughout, and the contributions of Press publications to the world of scholarship are charted.
Dethloff provides the background for the Press's various series that cover subjects ranging from anthropology to zoology. "A Bookmark" follows the Press from its original home in the old Board of Directors Building, through temporary housing after a 1979 fire, to the current quarters in the John H. Lindsey Building, which was specifically designed for the Press.
Friends of Texas A&M University and its bookmaking institution, as well as readers interested in general history and the history of higher education and of university presses, will join in welcoming "A Bookmark "to their shelves.