Robert Fair de Graff (1895-1981) was an American book publisher and founder of Pocket Books.Ennis, Thomas W. (November 3, 1981). "Robert F. De Graff Dies At 86; Was Pocket Books Founder". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
Early life and education
Robert Fair de Graff was born in Plainfield, New Jersey.
He studied at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. Afterward, he went back to New Jersey where he worked repairing cars.
Career In 1922, he became a salesman for his cousin Nelson Doubleday's company, then known as Doubleday, Page and Company in Garden City, Long Island. By 1925, he had become president of Garden City Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Doubleday, Page and Company.Davis, Kenneth C. (1984). Two-bit culture: the paperbacking of America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
In 1939, de Graff founded Pocket Books with financial support from Simon & Schuster."Corporate history". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved July 14, 2024. Thompson, Clive. (May 2013). "The Revolutionary Effect of the Paperback Book". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
Personal life and death De Graff was married to Dorcas Marie Bomann when he died at his home in Mill Neck, Long Island, New York, in 1981 at the age of 86. Services were held at the Episcopal Church of St. John’s of Lattingtown in Locust Valley, Long Island.Ennis, Thomas W. (November 3, 1981). "Robert F. De Graff Dies At 86; Was Pocket Books Founder". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2024. Robert is buried in Locust Valley Cemetery, Locust Valley, New York.
References