Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Rationalist Press Association was founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers dissatisfied with the direction of the British secularist movement. Its origins trace to the Propagandist Press Committee formed by Charles Albert Watts in 1890, which adopted the name Rationalist Press Association in 1899.
The Thinker's Library was a series of affordable reprints of scientific and freethought works published by Watts and Co. from 1929 until 1951. It included works by authors such as Charles Darwin and John Stuart Mill, making challenging texts accessible to a broad readership.
In January 2025, the Rationalist Association merged with Humanists UK, which took over ownership of the Rationalist Press Association and publication of New Humanist magazine. The original 1885 organisation continues as the Rationalist Press, the publishing imprint of Humanists UK.
Jonathan Miller was chosen as president of the Rationalist Association in 2006. On accepting the role he said: "Not believing in religion is very widespread, but I think this community gets overlooked. I am flattered and honoured."
The Rationalist Association reached its peak membership by 1959, with more than 5,000 subscribing members. Membership declined after that point as rationalist literature became available through mainstream publishers.
Bertrand Russell served as president of the Rationalist Association from 1955 until 1970, a fifteen-year tenure that made him one of its longest-serving leaders during the twentieth century.