Founding of the Johns Hopkins University Press

Background. Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, was incorporated in 1867 and opened in 1876. It was named for its first benefactor, Johns Hopkins, whose $7 million bequest was the largest philanthropic gift in U.S. history at that time. The university's publishing division, known as the Johns Hopkins University Press, was established in 1878.

Inauguration. Daniel Coit Gilman, who was inaugurated as Johns Hopkins's first president on February 22, 1876, led the university to revolutionize higher education by integrating teaching and research. Gilman inaugurated the press in 1878, establishing it as the university's Publication Agency. In its first year, the agency published the American Journal of Mathematics, followed by the American Chemical Journal in its second year.

Early Operations. The press began as the university's Publication Agency. In its first year, it published the American Journal of Mathematics, and in its second year, the American Chemical Journal. These publications established the press's role in scholarly communication. The agency later became the Johns Hopkins Press in 1891 and was renamed the Johns Hopkins University Press in 1972.