Editing Isaac K. Funk

{{Short description|American Lutheran minister, editor, lexicographer, publisher and spelling reformer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{infobox person
| image       = Isaac Kaufmann Funk.jpg
| birth_name  = Isaac Kaufmann Funk
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1839|09|10}}
| birth_place = [[Clifton, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{dda|1912|04|04|1839|09|10}}
| death_place = [[Montclair, New Jersey]], U.S.
| education   =
| alma_mater  = [[Wittenberg University|Wittenberg College]]<br>Wittenberg Theological Seminary
| occupation  = Minister, editor, [[lexicographer]], [[publisher]], and [[spelling reform]]er
| known_for   = Co-founder of [[Funk & Wagnalls|Funk & Wagnalls Co.]]
| parents     =
| spouse      = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Eliza Thompson<br>|1864|1868|reason=died}}
* {{marriage|Helen Gertrude Thompson|1869|1911|reason=died}}
}}
| children    = [[Wilfred J. Funk]]<br>Lida Funk Scott
| relations   =
| signature   = Signature of Isaac Kaufmann Funk.png
}}
'''Isaac Kaufmann Funk''' (September 10, 1839{{spaced ndash}}April 4, 1912) was an American [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] minister, editor, [[lexicographer]], [[publisher]], and [[spelling reform]]er.<ref name=en-brit>{{cite web|title=Isaac Kauffman Funk|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/222429/Isaac-Kauffman-Funk|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|accessdate=November 16, 2013}}</ref> He was the co-founder of  [[Funk & Wagnalls|Funk & Wagnalls Company]], the father of author [[Wilfred John Funk|Wilfred J. Funk]] (who founded his own publishing company, Wilfred Funk, Inc., and wrote the ''Word Power'' feature in [[Reader's Digest]] from 1945 to 1962), and the grandfather of author Peter Funk, who continued his father's authorship of ''Word Power'' until 2003.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Funk|first1=Peter|title=Feature - It Doesn't Pay to Enrich Your Word Power|url=http://www.yalerecord.com/magazines/power/PNwordpower.pdf|website=yalerecord.com|publisher=The Yale Record|accessdate=March 10, 2017|date=May 2003}}</ref> [[Funk & Wagnalls|Funk & Wagnalls Company]] published [[The Literary Digest]], ''The Standard Dictionary of the English Language'', and ''Funk & Wagnalls Standard Encyclopedia''.

==Early life==
Funk was born in 1839 in the village of [[Clifton, Ohio]].<ref name=ea>{{Cite Americana|wstitle=Funk, Isaac Kauffman}}</ref>  In 1842, he moved to [[Springfield, Ohio]], where his father John managed the [[Pennsylvania House (Springfield, Ohio)|Pennsylvania House]].<ref>Owen, Lorrie K., ed.  ''Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places''.  Vol. 1.  [[St. Clair Shores, Michigan|St. Clair Shores]]: Somerset, 1999, 133.</ref>

Years later, he attended Wittenberg College (now [[Wittenberg University]]) and Wittenberg Theological Seminary, both in Springfield.<ref name="IKFObit1912"/>

==Career==
Upon his graduation in 1860, he was ordained as a [[Lutheran]] pastor, and served [[pastorate]]s in [[New York (state)|New York]], [[Indiana]], and his home state of [[Ohio]]; his last pastorate was at Saint Matthews English Lutheran Church in [[Brooklyn, New York]], where he stayed seven years.<ref name=ea/><ref name=nie>{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Funk, Isaac Kauffman}}</ref>  In 1872, Funk resigned from the ministry and made an extensive tour through [[Europe]], northern [[Africa]], and [[Asia Minor]].<ref name=nie/>

Funk was a [[prohibitionist]].<ref name=cne>{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Funk, Isaac Kauffman}}</ref> He founded the ''Voice'' in 1880,  an organ of the [[Prohibition Party]], and he was the Prohibition candidate for [[mayor of New York]].<ref name=ea/> His [[Staten Island]] home, "grand in scale and extremely decorative", was built in 1893 in what was then [[Prohibition Park]], and the home still stands.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.silive.com/homegarden/interiordesign/2010/03/look_it_up_the_funk_in_funk_an.html |title=Look it up: The Funk in 'Funk and Wagnalls' lived here |first=James G. |last=Ferreri |newspaper=Staten Island Advance |date=March 25, 2010 |accessdate=March 4, 2019}}</ref>

In 1875<ref>''Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia''. 1996.</ref> he founded the publishing firm of I.K. Funk & Company, with the help of a Wittenberg classmate, [[Adam Willis Wagnalls]], a lawyer and accountant.  That year he founded and published the ''Metropolitan Pulpit'' (later its name was changed to ''Homiletic Review'').<ref name=ea/> ''Missionary Review'' also numbered among the many religious publications he founded after 1876.<ref name=nie/> In 1877 the name of his company was changed to [[Funk & Wagnalls|Funk & Wagnalls Company]], to reflect Wagnalls' partnership.  In 1890 Funk published ''[[The Literary Digest]]'', a departure from the religious works earlier in his career.<ref>[http://www.buckeyepower.com/cl/index.asp?getPage=831&issueid=54 ''Wagnalls Memorial Library'' (Country Living/January 2009)]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Perhaps Funk's most important achievement was his ''Standard Dictionary of the English Language'', the first volume of which was published in 1893. He worked with a team of more than 740 people. His aim was to provide essential information thoroughly and simply at the same time. In order to achieve this he placed current meanings first, archaic meanings second, and [[etymology|etymologies]] last.<ref>[http://paperbarn.www1.50megs.com/publishers/f.html#1877---FUNK%20& ''Funk & Wagnalls 1877'' (Index of Publishing Houses)]</ref> The dictionary was said to have cost [[Funk & Wagnalls]] over $960,000.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Rev. Isaac K. Funk, D.D., LL.D.|journal=The Pennsylvania-German|date=January 1907|volume=VIII|issue=I|page=29|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3R08AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA29|accessdate=February 15, 2014|last1=Croll|first1=Philip Columbus|last2=Schuler|first2=Henry Addison|last3=Kriebel|first3=Howard Wiegner}}</ref>

From 1901 until 1906, [[Funk & Wagnalls]] compiled the [[Jewish Encyclopedia|''Jewish Encyclopædia'']].  After Funk died in 1912, the publishing house eventually became a subsidiary of [[Thomas Y. Crowell Co.]]<ref name="IKFAAObit">{{cite journal |title=SEPT. 30, 1839 -- ISAAC KAUFMAN FUNK -- APRIL 4, 1912 |journal=American Advance |date=1912 |page=866 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1ExAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA866 |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

===Psychic research===
In his later years, Funk spent time on psychic research.  Funk was a believer in [[Spiritualism (movement)|spiritualism]] and in his book, ''The Widow's Mite and Other Psychic Phenomena'', published in 1904, he defended a number of [[Mediumship|mediums]] and [[spirit photography]].

Magician [[Joseph Rinn]] has noted that Funk was easily duped by fraudulent mediums, such as the [[Bangs Sisters]]. Funk had bought several of their 'spirit' pictures, unaware they were produced fraudulently.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 25, 1905 |title=Chicago Mediums Said to Have Duped Isaac Funk |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/28564526/ |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |location=Chicago, Illinois |page=3 |url-access=subscription  |quote=Dr. Isaac Funk of the publishing house of Funk & Wagnalls of New York has just paid the Bangs sisters 1500 for spirit painting.}}</ref> He also defended [[Anna Eva Fay]] and May S. Pepper, two mediums that were also exposed.<ref>[[Joseph Rinn|Rinn, Joseph]]. (1950). ''Searchlight on Psychical Research''. Rider and Company. pp. 150-171</ref>

==Personal life==
Funk married Eliza Thompson of [[Carey, Ohio]] in 1864.<ref name="NYOObit1912">{{cite journal |title=OBITUARY |journal=[[The New York Observer|New-York Observer]] |date=April 11, 1912 |page=478 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RrhLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA478 |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |publisher=Morse, Hallock & Company |language=en}}</ref>  After her death in 1868, Funk married her sister, Helen Gertrude Thompson (1842–1911). Funk had two sons and a daughter:<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=William E.|title=Sept. 30, 1839--Isaac Kaufman Funk--April 4, 1912|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1ExAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA866|accessdate=February 16, 2014|newspaper=American Advance|date=April 13, 1912|page=2}}</ref>

* James A. Funk (1876–1898), who predeceased his father in 1898 at age 21.
* [[Wilfred J. Funk|Wilfred John Funk]] (1883–1965)
* Lida M. Funk,<ref name="adventistdigitallibrary">{{cite web |title=Portrait of Lida Funk Scott |url=https://adventistdigitallibrary.org/adl-424168/portrait-lida-funk-scott |website=adventistdigitallibrary.org |accessdate=March 4, 2020}}</ref> a [[Vassar College]] graduate who married Robert Scott in 1895.<ref name="Gish2003">{{cite book |last1=Gish |first1=Ira |last2=Christman |first2=Harry |title=Madison, God's Beautiful Farm |date=2003 |publisher=TEACH Services, Inc. |isbn=978-1-57258-260-6 |page=144 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kBBs5yQ9cQUC&pg=PA144 |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Personals |journal=The Vassar Miscellany |date=1894 |page=460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QqmA0O9r8b8C&pg=PA460 |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |publisher=Vassar College. |language=en}}</ref>

Funk died in [[Montclair, New Jersey]] on April 4, 1912.<ref name="IKFObit1912">{{cite news |title=DR. ISAAC K. FUNK, PUBLISHER, IS DEAD; President of Funk & Wagnalls Co. Was a Student of Spiritual Phenomena. AUTHOR OF 'PSYCHIC RIDDLE' Clergyman and Editor Talked Through Medium with the Spirit of Thomas Paine--Was Prohibitionist |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/04/05/100528567.pdf |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 5, 1912}}</ref>  After some bequests to his alma mater and his brother, the residue of the estate was left to his two surviving children.<ref name="DrFunkWill1912">{{cite news |title=DR. FUNK'S WILL FILED.; Leave His Alma Mater, Wittenburg College, $10,000 and Brother $1,000. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/04/17/100530678.pdf |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 17, 1912}}</ref>

==Selected works==
*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001924376 ''The Complete Preacher, Sermons Preached By Some of the Most Prominent Clergymen''] (The Religious Newspaper Agency, New York.  1878)
*''Great Advance: Address by Dr. I.K. Funk, as Chairman of the New York Prohibition State Convention. Saratoga, September 12, 1895'' (The Voice. 1895)
*[https://archive.org/details/nextstepinevolut00funkiala ''Next Step in Evolution the Present Step''] (1902)
*[https://archive.org/details/widowsmiteother00funk ''The Widow's Mite and Other Psychic Phenomena''] (Funk & Wagnalls Co. 1904)
*[https://archive.org/details/psychicriddle00funk ''The Psychic Riddle''] (Funk & Wagnalls Co. 1907)
*''Standard Encyclopedia of the World's Knowledge'' (Funk and Wagnalls Co. 1912)<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/ijl/ect037|title=A Much Tortured Expression: A New Look at 'Hobson-Jobson'|year=2014|last1=Lambert|first1=J.|journal=International Journal of Lexicography|volume=27|pages=54–88}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Find a Grave|25786677}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Funk, Isaac Kaufmann}}
[[Category:1839 births]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Clifton, Ohio]]
[[Category:19th-century American Lutheran clergy]]
[[Category:American lexicographers]]
[[Category:American publishers (people)]]
[[Category:American spiritualists]]
[[Category:Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery]]
[[Category:American parapsychologists]]
[[Category:Wittenberg University alumni]]
[[Category:New York (state) Prohibitionists]]
[[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]