Alfred A. Knopf (1892–1984) was an American publisher best known for founding Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a prestigious publishing house recognized for its literary standards and international authors. His commitment to quality book production and editorial excellence shaped modern publishing.
Born in New York City, Knopf graduated from Columbia University (1912.) After briefly working at Doubleday, Page & Company, he established Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in 1915 with his wife, Blanche. The firm gained a reputation for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers alongside leading American literary figures.
Knopf’s publishing house released works by Willa Cather, Thomas Mann, Albert Camus, John Cheever, and Joan Didion. His dedication to book design and typography set industry standards. The firm’s borzoi logo, introduced in 1925, became a symbol of literary distinction.
He co-founded The American Mercury (1924,) an influential periodical with H.L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan. His legacy includes 16 Nobel Prize-winning authors and 27 Pulitzer winners. In 1960, Knopf’s company became part of Random House, later acquired by Bertelsmann. He remained chairman emeritus until his death.
Notable biographies include Laurence Bergreen’s Alfred A. Knopf: A Biography (1989) and Daniel J. Boorstin’s The House of Knopf: A Century of Publishing (1995.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Alfred A. Knopf
An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the incomprehensible.
—Alfred A. Knopf
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