Frank Cass
Frank Cass arrived in London on the 11th of July 1930. His father worked as a cabinetmaker while his mother traced her lineage to Poland. The Second World War forced young Frank into an evacuation that took him far from the city streets. He moved to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales during those turbulent years. This displacement shaped his early perspective before he ever opened a bookshop.
The career of Frank Cass started inside The Economist Bookshop located in Bloomsbury, central London. He learned the trade there before taking a leap of faith in 1953. That year marked the opening of his own independent shop on Southampton Row. The location placed him directly within the heart of London's publishing district. This small venture laid the groundwork for a much larger empire.
By the late 1960s Cass purchased Woburn Press which specialized in literature. A significant acquisition followed in 1971 when he bought Vallentine Mitchell an imprint dedicated to Jewish books. The purchase of Irish Academic Press in 1974 brought 1,000 volumes of British Parliamentary Papers from 1801 to 1901 into his collection. Cass made much of his wealth through this specific press operation.
He also acquired the scripts of The Goon Show in 1972 adding entertainment rights to his portfolio.
The expansion into academic journals began with Middle Eastern Studies in 1964. The list grew to include Business History and The Journal of Peasant Studies over time. Other titles such as West European Politics and Slavery and Abolition joined the series. Intelligence and National Security appeared alongside Immigrants and Minorities in the catalog. Holocaust Studies and Jewish Culture and History rounded out
a broad range of scholarly topics.
Audrey Steele became the wife of Frank Cass during their shared life together. They raised a son and a daughter within that family unit. Cass identified as Jewish and maintained regular attendance at a synagogue throughout his adult years. He passed away on the 9th of August 2007 at the age of 77. His death concluded a long career that spanned from
the war years into the new millennium.
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Common questions
When did Frank Cass arrive in London?
Frank Cass arrived in London on the 11th of July 1930. His father worked as a cabinetmaker while his mother traced her lineage to Poland.
Where did Frank Cass open his first independent bookshop?
Frank Cass opened his own independent shop on Southampton Row in 1953. The location placed him directly within the heart of London's publishing district after he learned the trade at The Economist Bookshop.
Which press did Frank Cass purchase in 1974 that generated significant wealth?
Frank Cass purchased Irish Academic Press in 1974 which brought 1,000 volumes of British Parliamentary Papers from 1801 to 1901 into his collection. He made much of his wealth through this specific press operation.
What academic journals did Frank Cass publish under his company?
Frank Cass published Middle Eastern Studies starting in 1964 and later added Business History and The Journal of Peasant Studies. Other titles such as West European Politics and Slavery and Abolition joined the series alongside Intelligence and National Security.
When did Frank Cass die and how old was he?
Frank Cass passed away on the 9th of August 2007 at the age of 77. His death concluded a long career that spanned from the war years into the new millennium.