Encyclopædia Britannica

Written by

Michael LevyAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 28, 2026 •History

In 1932 Cox resigned as publisher, and Elkan Harrison Powell, vice president of Sears—but with no publishing experience—was chosen to replace him, becoming president of the company. Powell organized the direct sales methods that gradually raised the sales of the encyclopaedia from their low watermark during the Depression, and he also initiated an important change in editorial method—continuous revision. Thereafter, instead of appearing in completely reset editions at long intervals, the encyclopaedia was reprinted annually....