Since its founding in 1969, Temple University Press has been dedicated to publishing academic books on urban studies, building strong partnerships with many of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural institutions, and publishing open educational resources.
Meant for academics, the general public and children, Temple Press books have wide appeal.
Photo by Betsy Manning
In Temple University founder Russell Conwell’s famous “Acres of Diamonds” speech, he encourages the masses to seek the gems that are the opportunities and stories in their own backyard.
Since its founding in 1969, Temple University Press has been uncovering those diamonds and presenting them for the world to see.
As the publishing arm of Temple, Temple University Press is both a national academic publisher and a deeply local institution that documents the civic, political, cultural and social life of the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region. Over the better half of a century, the press has fulfilled Conwell’s vision of the university as a place of educational opportunity for the urban working class by becoming one of the premier publishers of academic books on urban studies, Asian American studies, and other humanities and social science disciplines. The press has done this by establishing strong partnerships with many of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural institutions and publishing open educational resources.
“We’re the university press of Philadelphia’s only public university. We consider ourselves the City of Philadelphia's publisher, and we take that role very seriously,” said Mary Rose Muccie, director of Temple Press since 2014.
Temple President John Fry regards the press as a cherished asset to the university, the city and the academic community as a whole.
“There are just over 150 United States institutions of higher education that are home to a university press, and we are proud to be one of them,” said Fry, whose office includes a bookcase filled with Temple University Press publications. “It speaks to our impact as an R1 institution as it provides faculty from Temple and beyond with an important venue for them to share their research and scholarship. Temple University Press also aligns closely with our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose, and the plan’s pillar of Research in Action.”
A bookcase displaying Temple University Press titles exclusively sits outside President Fry's office in Sullivan Hall.
Photo by Betsy Manning
A press for the people, by the people
Temple Press books appeal to academics with their cutting-edge scholarship, the general public with trade titles about topics ranging from sports to memoirs and families, as the press has published a handful of children’s books.
Many of the titles published by Temple Press are highly regarded in their respective academic fields, such as Temple's Africology and African American Studies Professor Molefi Kete Asante’s The Afrocentric Idea (1987), for which he gained national media attention and praise from Henry Louis Gates Jr.
However, just as many titles are intended to further the knowledge of—and provide enjoyment to—the general public, such as the bestselling The Eagles Encyclopedia (2005) by Ray Didinger and Robert S. Lyons and its subsequent editions, The New Eagles Encyclopedia (2014) and The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions Edition (2018) and The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions II (2025).
“Our sports titles, popular memoirs and beautifully illustrated art books, among others, show that a university press can serve a wide variety of audiences across the city—our books are not just for scholars. We publish for everyone,” said Aaron Javsicas, editor-in-chief of Temple Press since 2016.
Temple Press’ other most widely read titles, to name only a few, include Silent Gesture: The Autobiography of Tommie Smith (2008), which recounts Smith’s experience of doing the Black Power salute while on the medal podium at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and Envisioning Emancipation (2013) by Deborah Willis and Barbara Krauthamer, a photography book documenting African American life from the 1850s to the 1930s, which won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work—Nonfiction and was a Top 25 Choice Outstanding Academic Title. The press has also published a number of children’s books including BG’s ABCs: Tackling Football and Life by former Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham.
Readers who are interested in meditating on the roughly 5,000 words of Conwell’s “Acres of Diamonds” speech can do so with either the hardcover or e-publication version published by Temple Press.
The excellence of Temple Press relies on the devotion of Temple’s faculty. As a founding member of the Association of University Presses, Temple University Press adheres to rigorous publishing standards, including a peer-review process overseen by an editorial board comprising faculty from Temple’s humanities and social sciences departments and deans. Temple Press also benefits both undergraduate and graduate students through hands-on internship opportunities that allow them to gain professional skills and insight into a career in publishing.
Serving a city
Much of what Temple Press publishes is meant to serve the Philadelphia tristate area and its residents. Reflective of Temple’s founding mission and Philadelphia’s history as a working-class city, a commitment to publishing books on social justice and urban studies is integral to the press’ identity. These subjects have been a key part of the press’ publishing program since its early years, and they continue to shape its seasonal release lists.
“We publish a lot of books that are representative of marginalized communities and underserved groups. Philly likes to consider itself a city of the working class, and our books are about issues that face the working class,” said Muccie.
Equally central to the press’ mission is its robust network of partnerships with Philadelphia’s arts, cultural and historical institutions. The press has worked closely with Mural Arts Philadelphia to publish Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell, its sequel More Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell, and Philadelphia Mural Arts @ 30, with a fourth book forthcoming soon. The press has also collaborated with Monument Lab, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit public art, history and design studio, to publish several books on monuments and their role in public storytelling. The Mural Arts and Monument Lab books “are emblematic of what we’re trying to do as a Philadelphia press and as a press that serves a variety of audiences,” according to Javsicas.
The press has also built publication partnerships with the Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Museum of the American Revolution, Drexel University, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania and Al Día News, among others. The press also publishes book series in partnership with both the Pennsylvania Historical Association and the Pennsylvania Political Science Association.
“We tend to choose partnerships that fit with the guiding ethic of the press. It’s arguably an ‘acres of diamonds’ type project, looking for diamonds in our backyards,” said Javsicas.
The guiding ethic of the press also includes accessibility, as exhibited by North Broad Press, a joint open-access imprint between Temple Press and Temple University Libraries. North Broad Press publishes peer-reviewed and professionally produced open textbooks by Temple faculty in the form of a .pdf file or an e-publication that can be read online or downloaded for use by not only Temple students but the wider community.
Local roots, global reach
While Temple University Press has strong ties to the Philadelphia community, it also publishes texts that make an impact around the world.
Temple University Press is one of the preeminent publishers of texts on Asian American studies. When Asian American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context (1982) by Elaine Kim was published, it was the first full-length study of Asian American literature and helped establish the field as a legitimate area of academic inquiry, creating a foundation for scholars across the world.
Temple Press also publishes Kalfou, an ethnic studies journal from the University of California Santa Barbara’s Center for Black Studies. It includes articles by scholars, as well as creative works by activists and community members. Temple Press titles have been translated in multiple languages, including Arabic, Turkish and Chinese. The most frequently translated titles include The Geber Knot by Allan Johnson and Philosophy in the Classroom by Matthew Lipman.
For the spring/summer 2026 catalog, Temple Press features dynamic titles including Declaration House, which examines the history behind the site where the Declaration of Independence was signed; The Mighty WMMR, an oral history of the legendary Philadelphia classic rock station and Asian Ameritopias, an analysis of social justice themes in Asian American speculative fiction.
The value of Temple University Press is seen around the world, but as Conwell reminded us in “Acres of Diamonds,” the richest opportunities are often found close to home. For more than five decades, the press has reflected the civic commitment and public mission that define Temple University and make it a meaningful part of its community on every scale, starting on North Broad Street.
