Frank Nelson Doubleday founded Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897 in partnership with magazine publisher Samuel McClure. The alliance between Doubleday and McClure lasted only three years. In 1900 the company became Doubleday, Page & Company when Walter Hines Page joined as a new partner. He was a strong co-leader until his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James in 1913. The founder's son, Nelson Doubleday, joined the firm in 1922.
Doubleday merged with George H. Doran Company in 1927, making Doubleday, Doran the largest publishing concern in the English-speaking world. The business became known as Doubleday & Company in 1946. Anchor Books created by Jason Epstein in 1953, was the first line of distinguished trade paperback books in the industry. Shortly thereafter a Catholic publishing program was started by John Delaney. By 1955 the program had expanded to cover other religions, which soon led to the Image line of trade paperbacks. The Nan A. Talese imprint was formed in 1990, two years after she joined Doubleday, bringing with her a distinguished list of authors.
Doubleday was sold to Bertelsmann, AG, a Germany-based worldwide communications company in 1986. In 1988 it became part of the Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group which went on to acquire and become a division of Random House Inc.' in 1998. (http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/history/)
