Milburn Calhoun Has Died

By Jason Boog 

Pelican Publishing Company publisher Dr. Milburn Calhoun has passed away. He was 81 years old.

Calhoun’s literary career began when he founded Bayou Books, a rare books shop. Under his leadership, the Pelican backlist has grown to more than 2,500 titles.

Here’s more from his obituary: “In 1970, he and family members acquired Pelican Publishing Company, a small New Orleans book publishing company that they relocated to Gretna … Pelican’s sales doubled each year during the first ten years of Dr. Calhoun’s leadership. Business expanded into all fifty states, and soon the company began to establish its international presence.”