Who owns the publishing rights to the Noah Webster name?
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated located in Springfield, Massachusetts now owns the rights to Noah Webster’s dictionary. George and Charles Merriam had produced an edition of Webster’s Speller in 1839. Following Webster’s death in 1843, the two brothers obtained the exclusive publishing and revision rights to the dictionary. Ironically, Webster, the father of America copyright, was unable to license his own name. Today there are many other “Webster” dictionaries, but there is only one “official” Merriam-Webster dictionary. • Are there direct descendants of Noah Webster alive today? Yes, there are many relatives of Noah Webster. However, the direct descendants with the last name of Webster died during the Civil War. • What types of programs are offered at the Noah Webster House? Over 10,000 children are served each year through dynamic school programs, birthday parties, Scout programs, and summer camps. These programs examine colonial and regional history through hands-on historic explorat
