History
Captain W.G. Shellabear is recognized as the founder of MPH. In 1890, he established the Amelia Bishop Press in Singapore, publishing Christian literature. The company eventually began publishing secular works as well, changing its name to the American Mission Press in 1893. In the 1900s, Rev. William T. Cherry expanded the organization's activities to printing, publishing, bookselling, and book distribution. He changed the company's name to Methodist Publishing House in 1906, giving rise to the acronym 'MPH', as the company is known today.
MPH underwent further name changes between the 1920s and 1960s but the acronym remained. The company also changed ownership multiple times, being acquired by an Indonesian consortium in 1966, then a Hong Kong group in 1972 and finally by Singaporean entrepreneur Simon Cheong in 1999. In 2002, Malaysian businessman Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, through Jalinan Inspirasi Sdn Bhd, acquired the company. This was the first time MPH became a wholly Malaysian-owned company.
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Famous quotes containing the word history:
“No matter how vital experience might be while you lived it, no sooner was it ended and dead than it became as lifeless as the piles of dry dust in a school history book.”
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