Allyn and Bacon
Boston textbook publisher founded by John Allyn in 1868, renamed Allyn and Bacon in 1888, and part of Pearson Education since 1998.
- Editions tracked
- 56
- First editions
- 46
- Books
- 52
- Years
- 1964 to 2010
Allyn and Bacon is a publisher based in Boston, founded in 1868. We track 56 editions it published between 1964 and 2010, 46 of them first editions across 52 books. Each book lists its first edition and the points that identify it.
About Allyn and Bacon
Allyn and Bacon is a Boston educational publisher founded in 1868 by John Allyn, renamed Allyn and Bacon in 1888 when George A. Bacon became his partner, and now an imprint of Pearson.
Origins. John Allyn set up in Boston in 1868 as a publisher and importer, concentrating on classics and other educational books. In 1871 he took over the publishing business of Sever, Francis and Co., and in 1872 he reissued its Golden Treasury Series of juvenile books. In 1888 George A. Bacon, a high school principal from Syracuse who published the education journal The Academy, joined him to form Allyn and Bacon.
Key periods. The firm built its list on high school textbooks, added elementary school books by the 1930s and moved into college textbooks by the 1950s. In 1951 Richard Ettinger, the founder of Prentice Hall, bought the company and made it a publicly owned corporation, and a College Division followed in 1952.
Owners. Allyn and Bacon stayed independent until Esquire, Inc. bought it in 1981. When Gulf and Western acquired Esquire in 1983, Allyn and Bacon moved into Simon and Schuster's education division. Pearson bought that division in 1998, and in 2007 Allyn and Bacon was merged with Pearson's Merrill imprint. The name survives on Pearson titles such as The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing. Boston College's Burns Library holds the company's records from 1868 to 2009.
We have not yet written the guide to Allyn and Bacon's first-edition conventions. Until we do, check each book's own page: we list its points where we know them. Know how Allyn and Bacon marked its firsts? Tell us.
Published by Allyn and Bacon
Frequently asked questions
How many Allyn and Bacon books does MyVolumes track?
We track 56 editions published by Allyn and Bacon, 46 of them first editions, across 52 books.
Where these facts come from
- Allyn & Bacon, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Allyn and Bacon records, Boston College Libraries (findingaids.bc.edu)
- John Allyn, Boston, 19th Century Juvenile Series (19thcenturyjuvenileseries.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.