Marquis Who's Who

{{Infobox publisher

| image = Marquis logo.png

| status =

| founded = 1898

| founder = Albert Nelson Marquis

| successor =

| country = United States

| headquarters = Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

| distribution = Worldwide

| keypeople = Erica Lee,
{{small|CEO and editor-in-chief}}

| genre =

| topics = Biographies

| imprints =

| revenue =

| nasdaq =

| url = {{official url}}

}}

Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɑːr|k|w|ᵻ|s}} or {{IPAc-en|m|ɑːr|ˈ|k|i:}}), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled Who's Who in... followed by some subject, such as Who's Who in America, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in Asia, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Who's Who in American Politics, etc. Often, Marquis Who's Who books are found in the reference section of local libraries, at corporate libraries, and are also used for research by universities.{{Cite web |title=Marquis Biographies Online |url=http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/cms/indexes/descriptions/marquis_whos_who}}{{Cite web |title=Bates College: Library: Online Resources |url=http://kent.bates.edu/erm/index.php/erm/find/type/Biographies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425235655/http://kent.bates.edu/erm/index.php/erm/find/type/Biographies |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |website=kent.bates.edu |url-status=dead}}

In 2005, while Marquis was owned by News Communications, Inc., publishers of The Hill; The New York Times referred to the sixtieth edition of Who's Who in America as {{qi|a librarian's Vanity Fair}}.{{Cite news |last=Hamilton |first=William L. |date=November 13, 2005 |title=Who Are You? Why Are You Here? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/fashion/sundaystyles/who-are-you-why-are-you-here.html |access-date=July 28, 2022 |work=The New York Times}}

Marquis states in its preface that Who's Who in America {{qi|endeavors to profile the leaders of American society; those men and women who are influencing their nation's development}}.{{Cite book |last=Marquis Who's Who |title=Who's Who in America 1994 |date=1994 |publisher=Marquis Who's Who |isbn=0-8379-0151-0 |location=Chicago, Ill |pages=vi}}

Entries in Marquis Who's Who books list career and personal data for each biography, including birth date and place, names of parents and family members, education, writings and creative works, civic activities, awards, political affiliation, religion, and addresses.{{Cite web |date=April 21, 2008 |title=Marquis Who's Who Bluesheet |url=http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/htmlaa/bl0234.html |access-date=April 22, 2008 |publisher=Thomson Reuters}} The content also is provided online to libraries and other paid subscribers.

History

Founded in 1898 by Albert Nelson Marquis as an American counterpoint to the UK-oriented publication of the same name (published by A.C. Black since 1849 and, notably, including substantial biographies since 1897), the first edition of the publication contained concise biographies of more than 8,500 {{qi|distinguished Americans}}. Albert Marquis wrote that the book's objective was to {{qi|chronicle the lives of individuals whose achievements and contributions to society make them subjects of widespread reference interest and inquiry.}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/whoswhoinameric01marqgoog#page/n9/mode/2up |title=WHO'S IN AMERICA; A Biographical Dictionary of Living Men and Women of the United States 1899–1900 |publisher=A.N. Marquis & Company |year=1900 |editor-last=Leonard |editor-first=John. W. |edition=1 |publication-place=Chicago |access-date=September 14, 2016 |via=Internet Archive}}

Originally independent, it was acquired by the conglomerate ITT. Macmillan bought ITT's publishing division in 1985. Reed Publishing bought Marquis and National Register from Macmillan in 1991.{{Cite web |date=October 18, 1991 |title=Macmillan directories go to Reed for $146 million |url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A11409662/LitRC?sid=lms |access-date=December 22, 2019 |website=Publishers Weekly}} Reed Elsevier sold Marquis and National Register to Commonwealth Business Media in 2001.{{Cite web |title=Commonwealth to pick up Reed titles |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2001/08/27/daily13.html |access-date=May 25, 2020 |website=Dayton Business Journal}} News Communications, Inc., which owns The Hill, bought Marquis in 2003.{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2016 |title=Trademark Assignment Cover Sheet |url=http://tsdr.uspto.gov/caseviewer/assignments?caseId=78617037&docIndex=1&searchprefix=sn |publisher=USPTO}}{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2016 |title=Entity Filing Details |url=https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx}}{{Cite web |title=Disqus – Who's Who Of Who's Who Scams |url=https://disqus.com/home/discussion/jamesarmes/whos_who_of_whos_who_scams/ |website=Disqus}}

In 2016, the company's assets, including all the trademarks were transferred to Marquis Who's Who Ventures LLC, which is privately owned.{{Cite web |title=About the Database |url=https://www.marquisbiographiesonline.com/Home/About |access-date=November 23, 2020 |website=www.marquisbiographiesonline.com}}

Erica Lee is the first woman CEO since the founding of Marquis Who's Who. According to Forbes, she was selected as one of the 10 leaders In Innovation by The CEO Forum Group in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Reiss |first=Robert |date=September 27, 2021 |title=10 Leaders Selected As Transformative CEOs In Innovation |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertreiss/2021/09/27/10-leaders-selected-as-transformative-ceos-in-innovation/ |access-date=March 2, 2024 |website=Forbes}}

Publications

= General publications =

Marquis publications include:

Who's Who in America ({{ISSN|0083-9396}})
Who's Who in the World ({{ISSN|0083-9825}})
Who's Who in American Art ({{ISSN|0000-0191}})
Who's Who in American Politics
Who's Who in the East
Who's Who in the West
Who's Who in the Midwest
Who's Who in the South / Southwest
Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare
Who's Who in Asia
Who's Who in American Law
Who's Who in Corporate America ({{ISSN|2159-9955}})
Who's Who in Science and Engineering
Who's Who of American Women

= Historical series =

Who Was Who in America {{ISSN|0146-8081}})
Who's Who in 20th Century America

Selection process

Marquis Who's Who states that selection of individuals for listing in its publications {{qi|is based on reference value. Individuals become eligible for listing by virtue of their positions and/or noteworthy achievements that have proved to be of significant value to society. An individual's desire to be listed is not sufficient reason for inclusion. Similarly, wealth or social position are not criteria. Purchase of the book is never a factor in the selection of biographees}}.{{Cite web |title=Compiling the Forbes/CCAP Rankings |url=http://centerforcollegeaffordability.org/uploads/2011_Methodology.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919193104/http://centerforcollegeaffordability.org/uploads/2011_Methodology.pdf |archive-date=September 19, 2011 |access-date=November 21, 2011}}

A 2005 New York Times feature describes some aspects of the selection process: {{qi|An editorial team of 70, including 12 researchers, make the call on who's notable and who's not}}.

Marquis calls its selection criteria {{qi|stringent}} and claims that biographical data on candidates for listing are reviewed by its editors to confirm that its requirements are met. Their chief executive, Gene M. McGovern, told The New York Times that {{qi|the fundamental standards here are position and accomplishment}}. Once selected, a biographical draft is sent to biographees for pre-publication checking. In cases where notable individuals decline to submit biographical data, Marquis proceeds to compile all of the information to be published.

As reference source

Forbes adopted Who's Who in America as a source for compiling information on post-graduate success when it began ranking America's most prestigious colleges in 2007.{{Cite web |last=Center for College Affordability and Productivity staff |date=August 11, 2010 |title=Methodology |url=https://www.forbes.com/2010/08/01/best-colleges-methodology-opinions-colleges-10-ccap.html |website=Forbes}} Forbes stopped referencing Marquis Who's Who in 2013, replacing it with various of its own lists, such as Power Women, 30 Under 30, CEOs on the Global 2000, Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners, Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellows, those elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and winners of major Arts awards.{{Cite web |last=Howard |first=Caroline |title=Ranking America's Top Colleges 2013 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2013/07/24/ranking-americas-top-colleges-2013/ |website=Forbes}}

Two statisticians with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company used inclusion in Who's Who in America in a study conducted 1950–1961, which concluded that people listed in the publication lived longer than their unlisted peers.Lawrence K. Altman, "Who's Who [in America] linked to longer lives. Listed American Men Are Found to Outlast Others," The New York Times, [https://www.nytimes.com/1970/07/26/archives/whos-who-tied-to-longer-lives-listed-american-men-are-found-to.html?_r=0 July 26, 1970, p. 60].

References

External links

{{official}} of Marquis Who's Who
[https://archive.today/20130127203909/http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/reference/891751-283/marquis_biographies_online__ereviews.html.csp Library Journal eReview of Marquis Biographies Online, September 15, 2011]
[https://archive.today/20130128011335/http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/reference/891249-283/reference_reviews_august_2011.html.csp Library Journal Reference Reviews, August 2011]
[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000638860 Who's who in America] at the HathiTrust

Category:Publishing companies established in 1898

Category:1898 establishments in the United States

Category:Book publishing companies based in New Jersey

Who's Who, Marquis