Follett history

Though Barnes's tiny bookstore had grown rapidly since its homespun beginning in Wheaton, it had floundered in 1893 when the country was rocked by a recession.

By 1899, the Barnes bookselling enterprise had bounced back from losses during the recession with sales in excess of $237,000.

1901 C.W. Follett joined the company in 1901 as a stock clerk.

In 1902, just a year after C.W. Follett had joined the company, Charles Barnes retired, leaving William and William's father-in-law, John Wilcox, to mind the store.

C.W. and Edythe Follett welcomed their first child in 1904, a son named Dwight.

In 1908, the company was reorganized as C. M. Barnes–Wilcox Company when John Wilcox, William Barnes' father-in-law, became the company's primary shareholder.

In 1917, after Barnes's son William moved to New York to create the company that became Barnes & Noble, the Illinois business changed hands.

John Wilcox died in 1923 and the following year, C. W. Follett and his wife, Edythe, purchased the company.

In 1925, Dwight founded the Follett Publishing Company.

C. W.'s youngest son, Laddie, who was still in grade school, joined the company in 1930.

The following year, R. D. established the company's first retail bookstore on a college campus outside of Chicago, and in 1940, Garth Follett created Follett Library Book Company.

First, Dwight's eldest child and only son, R.J.R. Follett, started his career as an editor for Follett Publishing Company in 1951 after graduating from Brown University and taking post-graduate courses at Columbia University.

Using computers long before they were mainstream (starting in 1952 with an IBM punch-card sorting system), Follett eventually revolutionized the book industry with its software applications.

The company continued to grow and was renamed Follett Corporation in 1957, which it is still known by today.

Traut began his career with Follett in its textbook wholesaling division in 1958.

Litzsinger was named Follett's retail stores supervisor in 1962; within four years he was president of Follett's college stores division.

Robert Follett, a son of Dwight, took over in 1977 and led a considerable expansion.

The second generation of Litzsingers joined Follett in 1978, when Dick's son Mark arrived after completing his schooling at Texas Christian University.

In 1979, Dwight retired and Robert J. R. Follett was named chairman.

With the passing of Roy Follett, his son Don Follett (NAFEM President 1982) joins the company.

1983: Follett Publishing Company division sold to Esquire Education Group.

In 1989, Christopher Traut, Richard's son, came to Follett from Vanderbilt University and worked in the software division.

In 1991, when Follett Collegiate Graphics was on the drawing board, Mark Litzsinger left his corporate post to head up the new division.

Chris Traut then left Follett Software Company and replaced Mark as director of corporate development in 1992.

In 1994, Robert J. R. Follett retired and Dick Traut, R. D.'s son-in-law, was elected chairman.

With more than 450 stores in 46 states and Canada by 1995, FCS's nearly seven decades of experience in the field met the needs of over 200,000 faculty members and upwards of three million students.

In 1997, Follett joined Internet Systems, Inc. in forming Library Systems & Services, L.L.C., a joint venture that provides library management services to public, academic and corporate libraries across the country.

In 1998, Follett associates celebrated the company's 125th anniversary.

Dick Traut retired as chairman in 1999, and Ken Hull became chairman and chief executive officer of the corporation.

In 2000, Follett's three core market groups were combined to form Follett Higher Education Group and Follett Library and School Group.

In April 2001, Ken Hull retired and Mark Litzsinger was elected chairman of Follett Corporation.

In addition, in June of 2003, Follett sold its interest in Library Systems & Services, LLC (LSSI).

The Horizon ice machine is selected as the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) Product of the Year in 2004.

In 2010, Chris Traut retired.

In April 2011, Alison O’Hara was named chairman of the board.

In November 2012, Mary Lee Schneider was elected Follett's new president and CEO. Schneider is an 11-year veteran on the Follett Board of Directors.

Litzsinger succeeds Steve Waichler, who held the role on an interim basis following the passing of O'Hara in 2013.

In January 2014, Follett Corporation announced that the company's board of directors named Todd Litzsinger as chairman of the board.

In June 2015, Follett Corporation purchased Neebo, the retail division of the Nebraska Book Company, adding more than 200 retail store locations; Follett hired Neebo's employees as part of the transition.

In December 2016, Follett Corporation acquired Valore, an online textbook marketplace.

B&T subsequently exited the movies/music business, selling the division to Ingram Entertainment in January 2019.