History - South-Western


History
1903		South-Western Publishing was born in 1903, when James W. Baker, a 28-year-old bookkeeping teacher at Knoxville Business College, decided he could write a better text. Numerous requests for 20th Century Bookkeeping and Office Practices encouraged him to form his own business with partners J.C. and Hu Woodward.
1927		Our commitment to quality was evident when 1927's 20th Century Touch Typewriting became the most widely used secondary typewriting book, and 1930's Accounting Principles became the most popular accounting text on the market.
1941 thru 1945		In World War II, South-Western maintained its dedication to customer satisfaction with our early "custom publishing" efforts for the US Armed Forces Institute. South-Western provided over five million items--more than any other publisher. Everyone was involved in a true team spirit; our salespeople and even the president of the company helped pack these priority shipments!
1967		In 1967 we merged with Scott, Foresman and Company and later became part of the SFN Corporation.
1972		1972 saw some of our original books, 20th Century Bookkeeping and Accounting and 20th Century Typewriting reintroduced as Century 21 Accounting and Century 21 Typewriting.
1982		In 1982, South-Western confirmed its commitment to innovation when we produced our first microcomputer courseware package, Automated Accounting for the Microcomputer.
1986		In 1986, we were purchased by The Thomson Corporation, an international publishing and information provider.
1992		Ten years later, electronic instructional media systems, video-driven educational packages, and custom publishing made South-Western the leader in putting technology in the classroom.
1996		With the 1996 Thomson acquisition of West Publishing, we acquired the West Business Law and Taxation titles
Today		Today, our traditions of innovation and customer satisfaction drive us to add increasing value to the educational tools we provide in print, multimedia, and electronic formats. We are committed to becoming your clear choice for business education.