Educational Communications, Inc. Information

Educational Communications, Inc., or ECI, published the Who’s Who volumes in the education sector for over four decades, with titles including Who’s Who Among American High School Students, The National Dean’s List, and Who’s Who Among American Teachers & Educators. The firm also operated the ECI Scholarship Foundation, one of the largest private education foundations in the country for many years, distributing nearly $5 million in student awards. The annual volumes highlighted academic achievement, participation in extra-curricular activities and community service; and honored over a million students and teachers each year. ECI was acquired from the founding Krause family of Chicago for $52 Million by Fenway Partners in late 2001, becoming one of three business units of American Achievement Inc., and relocated operations to Austin TX in late 2003. Responding to changing market needs, ECI launched a turnaround in 2006, with plans to migrate operations online, setting the stage for a new subscription-based social networking business model featuring interactive student profiles with rich media capabilities, described as “LinkedIn@School”. In 2008, declining sales combined with a weak economy prompted AAC’s attempted sale to industry competitor Herff Jones, Inc., however the transaction failed to win FTC approval. Educational Communications, Inc. and the ECI Scholarship Foundation ceased active operations in 2008.