ITEMS of interest

Fascinated by the tie-in between the gift and the manufacturer, T.E. Donnelley decided to come up with a memorable gift that recipients would associate with the Windy City printing giant. Thus, in 1903, the first edition in the annual series was launched, "The Autobiography of Ben Franklin."

Most early volumes consisted of speeches and writings from notable Americans. The 1911 release of "The Autobiography of Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard" set the tone for future installments in the series, making them first-person narratives of American history, mostly taken from rare, out-of-print books.