Richard Prentice Ettinger*

A brilliant student, Richard Ettinger graduated from a New York City high school and earned a law degree from New York University (NYU) by the time he was 18. Too young to take the bar exam, he took a $4-a-day job in the law offices of C. W. Gerstenberg and taught finance at NYU.

In 1913, Gerstenberg wrote a book titled Materials of Corporation Finance and was eager to get it published. At the same time, Ettinger felt a need for better textbooks at the college level. He and Gerstenberg formed Prentice Hall, Inc. to publish the book. Neither of them had capital, but Ettinger found a printer who was willing to publish the book on credit. The young company not only paid its debts but also was able to finance further growth. Over time, Prentice Hall became the world's leading publisher of academic, business, and professional textbooks.