Dorrance, the oldest name is subsidy publishing, is celebrating a ninety-year history that
is unique in the subsidy publishing field. Colonel Gordon Dorrance, a member of the
distinguished Main Line Philadelphia family that owned Campbell's Soup Company,
originally founded the company in 1920. Throughout its history, Dorrance has had only
five owners; all have held the company for long periods of time and were committed to
its mission of offering excellence in publishing opportunities to authors, most of who
have been new and unknown, and who believe in their work and wish to exercise their
rights of self-expression.
The Dorrance family owned and operated the company for five decades, then during the
1960s the ad agency Dorrance had worked with in promoting its books, Briggs &
Associates, purchased the company. After a number of years Anthony Parrotto, who was
the ad agency's accountant, bought the firm and took on the role of president until the
early 1980s. While building Dorrance, Parrotto had spun off a new ad agency and
printing firm, The Kingswood Group, and wanted to direct more of his energies into the
development of that other business. Elizabeth and Robert House, both of whom had many
years of experience in traditional publishing, then purchased the company from Parrotto.
Finally in 1989, a successful Pittsburgh businessman, who had founded and owned
several businesses in Pittsburgh, purchased the Dorrance name, assets, and inventory.
Elizabeth House stayed on as managing director for sixteen years. From its first location
in downtown Philadelphia, to Ardmore and Bryn Mawr on the Main Line, the company
moved in 1989 to western Pennsylvania and took up headquarters in downtown
Pittsburgh where it remains to this day.