A. A. Wyn

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Books

Aliases: A. A. Wyn's Magazine Publishers; A. A. Wyn, Publisher; A. A. Wyn, Inc. (eff. July 1, 1946)

1945 - After 17 years as a magazine publisher, Aaron A. Wyn intends to branch out into book publishing, hiring Bernard B. Perry, editor and sales manager of the Vanguard Press, as general manager of A. A. Wyn on May 14, 1945 (BERNARD B. PERRY, PW, May 19, 1945, at 2004).

Current Books, Inc., Announces First List, PW, Sept. 1, 1945, at 865-866 (with photograph of Wyn).

1946 - A. A. Wyn acquires L. B. Fischer Publishing Corp. early in 1946, changing its name to A. A. Wyn, Inc. later in the year, effective July 1, 1946; Fischer continues its publishing operations (A. A. Wyn Acquires Control of L. B. Fischer, PW, Mar. 2, 1946, at 1388).

1952 - A. A. Wyn launches Ace Double Novel Books at 35 cents (Pocket-Sized Books Launched by A. A. Wyn, PW, Oct. 18, 1952m at 1719-1720).

Hill & Wang, New Publisher, Formed; Buys Titles of Wyn, PW, Feb. 18, 1956, at 1034.

Ace Star Books: New Paperback Series, PW, Dec. 28, 1959, at 49 (announcing new paperback line for serious fiction and nonfiction reprints, starting in January 1960, at 35-50 cents).

AARON A. WYN, PW, Nov. 13, 1967, at 55 (obituary notice).

1970 - Charter Communications acquires Ace Books (no citation, but an ad in PW, Oct. 19, 1970, lists Ace Books as "A Charter Communications Company").

1971 - Leon Shimkin, president of Simon & Schuster, and Barry Merkin, president of Charter Communications, announce the formation of Pocket Books-Ace Distribution Company, which will act as sales representative to the mass market for Pocket Books and Ace Books beginning July 1, 1971 (Company Formed to Market Pocket Books and Ace, PW, Apr. 26, 1971, at 43).

1974 - Filmways, Inc., buys Grosset from American Financial Group

1976 - Filmways, Inc., parent company of Grosset & Dunlap, acquires Charter Communications, owner of Ace Books, allowing Grosset & Dunlap to enter the mass market paperback field, in April 1976 (Filmways, Owner of G&D, Acquires Ace Books, PW, Apr. 26, 1976, at 19).

1982 - a group of investors led by Orion Pictures executives purchases Filmways, owner of Grosset & Dunlap, publishers of Ace Books, on Feb. 8, 1982 (Filmways Sold to Group Led By Orion Executives, PW, Feb. 19, 1982, at 16).

1982 - Putnam Publishing Group, a subsidiary of MCA, purchases Grosset & Dunlap, including Charter Communications, the Grosset subsidiary that publishes Ace Books, from Filmways in June 1982; Putnam organizes Ace Books under its Berkley/Jove subsidiary (Putnam to Buy Grosset and Ace from Filmways, PW, June 4, 1982, at 14).

1990 - after talks between MCA and Matsushita Electric Industrial Company (MCA Talks with Matsushita, PW, Oct. 12, 1990, at 10), Matsushita purchases MCA, including its Putnam Berkley Group, late in 1990 (Madalynne Reuter, MCA's Takeover Raises Questions on Autonomy, PW, Dec. 7, 1990, at 14).

1995 - after rumors of a deal on Apr. 7, 1995 (Late Bulletins: Seagram Ready to Buy Putnam Parent MCA, PW, Apr. 10, 1995, at 7), Seagram Company purchases 80% interest in Matsushita Electric Industrial Company, giving Seagram control of MCA and its Putnam Berkley Group (Jim Milliot, Role of Putnam in New MCA to Be Determined, PW, Apr. 17, 1995, at 16).