Preece, Warren Eversleigh

▪ 2008

 American encyclopaedist

born April 17, 1921 , Norwalk, Conn.

died April 11, 2007, Philadelphia, Pa.

was general editor of Encyclopædia Britannica in the creation of the 15th edition (1974), which consists of 30 volumes in three parts (the Propædia, the Micropædia, and the Macropædia). Preece was educated at Dartmouth College (B.A., 1943 [Phi Beta Kappa]), Hanover, N.H., and, after U.S. Army service during World War II, at Columbia University (M.A., 1947), New York City. He worked in Connecticut as a newspaper reporter and copy editor and then taught English for a time before becoming public relations director in the 1956 campaign of U.S. Sen. Thomas Dodd (Connecticut). Britannica's publisher, William Benton, also of Connecticut, hired him in 1957 as secretary to the encyclopaedia's board of editors. Preece subsequently served (from 1964) as the editor of Britannica and was a key figure in the development of the 15th edition. After publication of the new edition, he resigned (1975) as editor but continued to serve as a member of the board of editors (vice-chairman 1975–79). He was coauthor of The Technological Order (1962).

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