born Sept. 12, 1892, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Aug. 11, 1984, Purchase, N.Y.
U.S. publisher.
He worked a short time in publishing before he and his wife, Blanche, founded their own firm, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., in 1915. His appreciation of contemporary literature and his literary contacts helped make the firm renowned for publishing works of high literary quality. By the time of his death, authors published by the firm had won 16 Nobel and 27 Pulitzer prizes. In 1966 it became a subsidiary of Random House , Inc. Knopf also published the American Mercury (192434), an influential periodical he cofounded with H.L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan.