Publisher. Stanley Horwitz received his early education at nine schools in both Sydney and France. He eventually completed a Leaving Certificate at The King's School, Parramatta, and in 1940 started an engineering degree at Sydney University. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War. His interest in communication did, however, see him undertake military training at the No 4 Radar Officers' Course at Richmond. He then served five years in the as a radar officer in the R.A.A.F.'s pioneering Radar Squadron, with his postings including Kiama, Melbourne, New Guinea and New Britain. On the day of the Japanese surrender in 1945 he married Nancy Lavery, and immediately after being discharged (with the rank of Flight Lieutenant) he joined the family publishing business.
Following the death of his father in 1956 Horwitz took over the directorship of the company and under his guidance established it as the country's leading publisher of paperbacks. Lyall Moore records in 2001 that he forged a considerable reputation as a negotiator and deal-maker. Among his achievements in this respect were introducing the giant US text-book publisher Prentice-Hall into the Australian market and making numerous ground-breaking deals with overseas publishers. Moore goes on to note that while serving as President of the Ausrtralian Book Publishers' Association between 1967 and 1969, Horwitz was able to influence the Australian government to allow the local publishing industry greater autonomy from international forces, thus enabling both expansion within the local retail industry and greater control over import and export trade terms. His efforts also eventually led to the foreign stranglehold on Australian rights to international best sellers being broken in the early 1980s. The result in this instance was that local publishers could more effectively compete for the publishing rights to these works.
Described by John Hetherington in 1963 as a man who could be initially wary of the hidden motives of inquisitive journalists, but was nevertheless helpful once the ice was broken, Horwitz preferred to conduct his business with as little publicity as possible. A smallish but compactly built man who kept himself fit throughout much of his life, Horwitz was a keen yachtsman who liked to race on Sydney Harbour and sail along the Australian east coast as often as possible. He was also closely involved in the design of several large off-shore saliing and power yachts.
After retiring from the business he spent much of his latter years overseas. He and his first wife had three children, Peter, Margaret and Susan, with Peter and Susan taking over control of the Horwitz empire following their father's retirement. Horwtiz died on 27 May 2001, survived by his second wife, Beverley, his three children, and sisters Lillaine, Judith and Robin.
