Oxford University Press, Inc. (OUP USA) is linked to Oxford University Press in Oxford, England (OUP UK), which is a department of Oxford University and is the oldest and largest continuously operating university press in the world. The first book to be printed in Oxford—the Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed, attributed to St. Jerome, by Theodoric Rood—was printed in 1478, only two years after Caxton set up the first printing press in England, following the invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg in 1450. The printing industry in Oxford developed in a somewhat haphazard fashion over the following century. It consisted of a number of short-lived private businesses, some patronized by Oxford University. But in 1586, the University itself obtained a decree from the Star Chamber confirming its privilege to print books. In the same year, Oxford University lent £100—a small fortune at that time—to a local bookseller, Joseph Barnes, to set up a press. Barnes produced many books now prized by collectors, including the first books printed at Oxford in Greek (1586) and Hebrew (1596), and Captain John Smith's Map of Virginia (1612). The Great Charter, secured by Archbishop Laud from King Charles I in 1632, increased the independence and latitude of the press, entitling the University to print "all manner of books," and approximately 300 books were printed before Mr. Barnes retired in 1617. In 1633, the University first appointed Delegates to oversee this privilege. Minute books recording their deliberations date back to1668, and OUP UK as it exists today began to develop in a recognizable form from that time. To this day, the worldwide Press’s activities are overseen by Delegates. In the UK, the Delegates are appointed from the academic staff of Oxford University to "have charge of the affairs of the Press" and to govern it under the University statutes. The Delegates are actively involved in OUP UK’s publishing program, including that all books are referred to them for approval prior to publication and individual Delegates maintain an active dialogue with editors in their specialist subject areas. The operations of OUP UK are overseen by a board that includes the Vice Chancellor of the University and other University administrators, as well as a number of Delegates and officers of the Press. The University established its right to print the King James Authorized Version of the Bible in the seventeenth century. This Bible Privilege formed the basis of a successful publishing business throughout the next two centuries and was the spur of OUP’s expansion. A Bible warehouse was set up in London, which later grew into a major publisher of books with educational and cultural content aimed at the general reader. Then, OUP began to expand internationally, starting with the opening of an American office in 1896.
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