G. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. The company began as "Wiley & Putnam" with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and John Wiley, who had founded his own company in 1807. In 1841, Putnam went to London, UK where he set up a branch office, the first American company to ever do so. In 1848 he returned to New York, where he dissolved the partnership with John Wiley and established "G. Putnam Broadway," publishing a variety of works including quality illustrated books. Wiley back to ownership of John Wiley and Sons, which is still an independent publisher to the present day. On George Palmer Putnam's death in 1872 his sons George H., John and Irving inherited the business and the firm's name was changed to "G. P. Putnam's Sons." Son George H. Putnam became president of the firm, a position he held for the next fifty-two years. On his death in 1930, the various Putnam heirs voted to merge the firm with Minton, Balch & Co. who became the majority stockholders. Putnam's son George P. Putnam (1887-1950) was married to aviator Amelia Earhart. In 1965, G.P. Putnam's Sons acquired Berkley Books, a mass market paperback publishing house. Ten years later, Putnam Publishing Group and Berkley Publishing Group were sold to MCA, Inc. In 1982, Putnam acquired the respected children's book publisher, Grosset & Dunlap. In 1996, the company was bought by the Penguin Group, a division of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC. The new owners merged Putnam/Berkley with Penguin USA to form "Penguin Putnam Inc." who use the name to publish the "G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers."
