The Vanguard Press was established in 1926 with a $100,000 grant from the Garland Fund, a philanthropic foundation. The Garland Fund was noted for its support of left-wing and radical causes, organizations and institutions, and Vanguard Press published a wide assortment of new and classic works on radical topics, including studies of the Soviet Union, socialist theory, and politically-oriented fiction. In 1932 the press severed its relationship with the Garland Fund and moved into publishing more mainstream authors and titles. The firm was sold to a larger publishing firm in the late 1930s and in 1988 it was acquired by Random House.
Evelyn Shrifte (1900 or 1901-1999) was an American editor and president of Vanguard Publishing for more than thirty-five years. Educated at Barnard College, she worked for the Musical Quarterly and owned and operated a bookstore in New York City before going to work for Vanguard in the early 1930s. She became its president in 1952, a position she held until Vanguard's sale to Random House in 1988. Among the books published during her tenure were Saul Bellow's first two novels, Dr. Seuss' first two books, and many novels by Joyce Carol Oates.
From the guide to the Evelyn Shrifte Collection Relating to Vanguard Press, 1928-1990, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
