Editing Random House (section)

===20th century===
Random House was founded in 1927 by [[Bennett Cerf]] and [[Donald Klopfer]], two years after they acquired the [[Modern Library]] [[imprint (trade name)|imprint]] from publisher Horace Liveright, which reprints classic works of literature. Cerf is quoted as saying, "We just said we were going to publish a few books on the side at random", which suggested the name Random House.<ref>[http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/remarkable_columbians/bennett_alfred_cerf.html C250.columbia.edu] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408223715/http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/remarkable_columbians/bennett_alfred_cerf.html |date=April 8, 2016 }}, Bennett Alfred Cerf Biography</ref> 

In 1934, they published the first authorized edition of [[James Joyce]]'s novel ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'' in the Anglophone world.<ref>{{cite book|title=The most dangerous book: the battle for James Joyce's Ulysses|first=Kevin|last=Birmingham|location=London|publisher=Head of Zeus|year=2014|isbn=9781784080723}}</ref> ''Ulysses'' transformed Random House into a formidable publisher over the next two decades. In 1936, it acquired Smith and Haas, and Robert Haas became the third partner until retiring and selling his share back to Cerf and Klopfer in 1956. The acquisition of Smith and Haas added authors, including [[William Faulkner]], [[Isak Dinesen]], [[André Malraux]], [[Robert Graves]], and [[Jean de Brunhoff]], who wrote the [[Babar the Elephant|Babar]] children's books. 

Random House also hired editors Harry Maule, Robert Linscott, and Saxe Commins, and they brought authors such as [[Sinclair Lewis]] and [[Robert Penn Warren]] with them.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bernstein, Robert L.|author-link=Robert L. Bernstein|chapter=Chapter 3|title=Speaking Freely: My Life in Publishing and Human Rights|publisher=The New Press|location=New York|year=2016|isbn=9781620971727|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZxXfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT39}}</ref> Random House entered reference publishing in 1947 with the ''[[American College Dictionary]]'', which was followed in 1966 by its first unabridged [[dictionary]]. 

In October 1959, Random House went public at $11.25 a share. This was a factor in decisions by other publishing companies, including [[Simon & Schuster]], to later go public.<ref name="Another">{{cite book|last1=Korda|first1=Michael|title=Another Life : a memoir of other people|url=https://archive.org/details/anotherlifememoi00kord|url-access=registration|date=1999|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=0-679-45659-7|edition=1st}}</ref> American publishers [[Alfred A. Knopf]], Inc. and [[Beginner Books]] were acquired by Random House in 1960, followed by [[Pantheon Books]] in 1961; works continue to be published under these imprints with editorial independence, such as [[Everyman's Library]], a series of classical literature reprints. 

In 1965, [[RCA]] bought Random House as part of a diversification strategy. Random House acquired the paperback book publisher [[Ballantine Books]] in 1973.<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| title = Random House in Deal for Ballantine Books| work = The New York Times| access-date = November 3, 2019| date = January 9, 1973| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/09/archives/random-house-in-deal-for-ballantine-books.html| archive-date = November 8, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201108045254/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/09/archives/random-house-in-deal-for-ballantine-books.html| url-status = live}}</ref> RCA sold Random House to [[Advance Publications]] in 1980.<ref name=Another/><ref>{{cite web|title=RCA History|url=http://www.bobsamerica.com/rca-history.html|website=bobsamerica|access-date=October 3, 2015|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224130314/http://www.bobsamerica.com/rca-history.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Random House began publishing audiobooks in 1985.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brooke |first=James |date=1985-07-02 |title=Listened to Any Good Books Lately? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/02/books/listened-to-any-good-books-lately.html |access-date=2023-02-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220000209/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/02/books/listened-to-any-good-books-lately.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

In 1988, Random House acquired [[Crown Publishing Group]].<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Mitgang| first = Herbert| title = Random House Buys Crown| work = The New York Times| access-date = November 27, 2018| date = August 16, 1988| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/16/business/random-house-buys-crown.html| archive-date = September 1, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200901163256/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/16/business/random-house-buys-crown.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Also in 1988, [[McGraw-Hill Education|McGraw-Hill]] acquired Random House's Schools and Colleges division.<ref name="mcgraw-hillannounce2">{{cite news|title=McGraw-Hill Is Buying 2 Random House Units|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/29/business/the-media-business-mcgraw-hill-is-buying-2-random-house-units.html |first=Edwin|last=McDowell|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 29, 1988|access-date=February 12, 2017|archive-date=July 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708105901/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/29/business/the-media-business-mcgraw-hill-is-buying-2-random-house-units.html |url-status=live}}</ref>  

In 1998, [[Bertelsmann AG]] bought Random House and merged it with [[Bantam Books|Bantam]] [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] [[Dell Books|Dell]] and it soon went global.<ref>"[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Random-House-Inc-Company-History.html History of Random House Inc.]", from Funding Universe. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304174822/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Random-House-Inc-Company-History.html |date=March 4, 2012 }}. Retrieved April 13, 2008.</ref> In 1999, Random House acquired the children's audiobook publisher Listening Library,<ref>{{Cite web| title = Random House Acquires Listening Library| work = Publishers Weekly| first = Shannon| last = Maughan| date = July 12, 1999| access-date = April 2, 2019| url = https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990712/34516-random-house-acquires-listening-library.html| archive-date = November 8, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201108185211/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990712/34516-random-house-acquires-listening-library.html| url-status = live}}</ref>and sold its distribution division.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990503/40044-executive-group-to-acquire-random-s-distribution-division.html|title=Executive Group to Acquire Random's Distribution Division|first=Jim|last=Milliot|date=May 3, 1999|website=Publishers Weekly|access-date=February 5, 2023|archive-date=January 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128232450/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990503/40044-executive-group-to-acquire-random-s-distribution-division.html?utm_source=pocket_reader|url-status=live}}</ref>