A Short History of
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY PRESS
Southern Illinois University Press will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2006, having published its first book--Charles E. Colby's A Pilot Study of Southern Illinois--on October 20, 1956. From its bucolic location just off the SIU Carbondale campus, the Press has mounted a global mission, reaching out through all avenues of the worldwide network of scholarship to attract manuscripts from an international corps of authors.
Throughout its existence, the Press has published an enviable mixture of solid younger scholars balanced by those with established reputations. Publishing in the humanities and social sciences, it has made substantial contributions in art and architecture, classical studies, literary criticism, philosophy and religion, history (with a growing emphasis on the Civil War), speech communication, and rhetoric. The Press also boasts a strong list in First Amendment rights and media studies. The film and theatre list grows more robust each year as do the lists in aviation and regional history. SIU Press also has made important contributions in criminology, political science, baseball, poetry, and women's studies.
MISSION STATEMENT
Southern Illinois University Press holds as its mission the dissemination of knowledge by a diverse authorship for a global readership, the enhancement of the University's presence in ongoing scholarly dialogue and debate, the promotion of regional identity and pride, and an enduring commitment to remaining a leading publisher in the fields we serve.
Southern Illinois University Press is a member of the Association of American University Presses.