SAGE celebrates 50 years of global academic publishing
SAGE—The world’s leading independent academic and professional publisher is
celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. When Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE
in 1965 from a one-room office at 150 Fifth Avenue and the corner of 20th Street
in New York City, she would not have anticipated the growth this company would
achieve in such a short span of time.
From its first publication “Urban Quarterly” in
1965 to over 800 books and 800 journals in a
year, SAGE has grown in leaps and bounds over
the years. The journey till now epitomizes the
belief and commitment that SAGE has always
stood for—that is to publish thoughtful works
of scholarship by and for educators, and other
scholars throughout the world. It has gained
considerable recognition and respect from
global academic communities within years of
its institution.
Reminiscing about the journey and growth of SAGE, Stephen Barr, President SAGE
International who himself has been at SAGE for almost 30 years said “SAGE's
transformation from a new start-up in 1965 to being one of the world's leading
academic publishers in 2015 is extraordinary and unique. Our future as an
independent publisher is guaranteed by the estate plan of our founder, Sara
Miller McCune. I would like to thank all of our authors, all SAGE's staff (both past
and present), and the many other partners and customers who have helped us in
this amazing journey.”
The Chief Guest, Renu Khator, Chancellor, University of Houston System and
President, University of Houston, Texas, USA was the keynote speaker at the
celebratory event. Speaking at the occasion, Prof Khator said “Congratulations to
Sage on its 50th anniversary. Today we celebrate 50 years of success, but we also
celebrate 50 years of empowerment through knowledge. Universities and
academic publishers like SAGE are two sides of the same coin...both engaged in
pursuit of knowledge. While universities house teachers and researchers,
publishers like SAGE give them voice and tools to fulfill their mission. SAGE has
played a critical role in the advancement of higher education over the last 50
years and as the landscape of higher education changes, SAGE is sure to have a
key role in shaping its future.”
SAGE has globally carved out a special place for itself in the world of academic
publishing by publishing and supporting quality research that transforms the
society and our understanding of individual, groups and culture. SAGE India has
also been an active and equal partner in this journey of transition and change.
Since its inception SAGE India has been consciously fulfilling SAGE’s commitment
to promote Social Sciences Research as envisioned by Sara Miller McCune and
George McCune. Today SAGE India has an active front list of over 1200 book titles.
It is among the largest publishers of original journals in South Asia. Vikalpa—the
flagship journal of IIM Ahmedabad now publishes with SAGE India.
Taking forward the legacy and another leap, SAGE
India has announced the much-awaited direct
entry into Indian language publishing. The logo of
SAGE Bhasha, the imprint under which this effort
will be focused, was unveiled, by Sara Miller
McCune (Founder, Publisher and Executive
Chairman), Blaise Simqu ( President and Chief
Executive Officer, SAGE Inc.), Stephen Barr
(President SAGE International) and Vivek Mehra
(MD & CEO, SAGE India) at the celebratory event
held recently.
At the unveiling Vivek Mehra, MD and CEO SAGE India said that “SAGE remains
committed to quality publishing in India. SAGE Bhasha is another form of this
commitment. India’s languages have a larger audience and readership than
English. Yet there remains a large gap between supply (quality) and market
demand. With its expertise in English language publishing, SAGE will help raise the
bar for Indian language publishing too. Initially the imprint will have translated
works but in 2016/17 we will begin publishing original works. In 2015 SAGE
Bhasha will roll out in two languages, Hindi and Marathi.”
Today with registered publishing offices in Los Angeles, Washington DC, London,
New Delhi, Singapore and Boston, SAGE continues to be the most independent,
innovative, natural home for scholars and educators who share our commitment
and passion for the social sciences.
The Estate Plan
The long term guarantee of SAGE's independence
SAGE is rare among publishers of our size in that we are still independent and
privately owned. We are unique in that our founder and majority owner, Sara
Miller McCune, has put in place an Estate Plan that guarantees our independence
indefinitely. Under the terms of this Estate Plan, the voting shares of the company
will ultimately be transferred to a trust. The non-voting shares will be gifted to a
small group of new shareholders comprised of universities and charitable
organizations that support social justice initiatives; meaning essentially that they
are prohibited from selling SAGE in the future. The goal is for SAGE to continue in
perpetuity as a unique and independent publisher.
Our guaranteed independence is something that we are
extremely proud of; it enables us to plan with a very long-term view, and to invest
in innovations that improve our ability to fulfill our vision of supporting education
and disseminating research. By putting in place her Estate Plan, Sara has given
SAGE an exceptional gift and opportunity enabling us to give our partners
confidence that our independence and unique mission will remain unchanged.