Syracuse University Press
Syracuse University Press has never owned a printing press. Its books carry the university's name, yet they are made by an offsite manufacturer. The Press belongs to Syracuse University and is a member of the Association of University Presses. That raises a few questions. Why would a university start a press with no presses? What kind of reader was it meant to serve? And how does a small academic publisher keep finding new ways to reach people?
In August 1943, Syracuse University president William P. Tolley made a promise to Thomas J. Watson. The university would organize a press. Its first job was to print an IBM title called Precision Measurements in the Metal Workings Industry. So the Press began with a request from a company, not with a scholar's manuscript. Matthew Lyle Spencer, from the School of Journalism, became the first chair of its board of directors. Lawrence Siegfried served as its first editor. Neither man had a long list of titles waiting. A press created around one technical book would still need to decide what else to publish.
Irish studies and Middle East studies are the two fields in which the Press has earned an international reputation. Those are only part of its list. It also publishes in Native American studies, Jewish studies, and peace and conflict resolution. Closer to home, it covers New York State. It also publishes on television and popular culture, and on sports and entertainment. That mix runs from conflict in distant regions to the shows and games of everyday life. Its list reaches readers in each of those fields, and in recent years it has reached them through new formats.
In March 2017, the National Endowment for the Humanities gave SU Press a Humanities Open Book Program award. The recognition came from a national funder, not from the university itself. A few years later, in October 2020, the Press began producing audiobooks. It makes them with Sound Beat. Sound Beat is produced at the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive, which is part of Syracuse University Libraries. That means the spoken versions of the Press's books are made within the university's own library system.
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Common questions
When was Syracuse University Press founded?
It was formed in August 1943, when university president William P. Tolley promised Thomas J. Watson that Syracuse would organize a press.
Why was the Press created?
It was created so the university could print IBM's Precision Measurements in the Metal Workings Industry.
Who were its first leaders?
Matthew Lyle Spencer of the School of Journalism was the first chair of the board of directors, and Lawrence Siegfried was the first editor.
Does the Press own a printing press?
No. It has never owned one, and its books are printed by an offsite manufacturer.
What subjects does the Press publish in?
Its areas of focus include Middle East studies, Native American studies, peace and conflict resolution, Irish studies, Jewish studies, New York State, television and popular culture, and sports and entertainment.
Does Syracuse University Press produce audiobooks?
Yes. Since October 2020 it has produced audiobooks with Sound Beat, which is produced at the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive at Syracuse University Libraries.
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12 references cited across the entry
- 3BookSyracuse University: Volume IV: The Tolley Years 1942-1969John Robert Greene — Syracuse University Press — 1996
- 5NewsSU Press Author Wins Modern Language Association of America Book AwardMona Hamlin — 9 December 2018
- 9NewsSyracuse University Press constantly adapts to surviveJacob Gedetsis — 21 October 2015
- 10NEH grant details: Humanities Open Book Program-Syracuse University PressNational Endowment for the Humanities
- 12NewsSyracuse University Press and Sound Beat: Access Audio Partner to Produce AudiobooksCristina Hatem — October 18, 2020