In January of 1956 a brand new magazine was published called WISDOM The Magazine of Knowledge for All Americans. The first edition featured Albert Einstein on the cover. Publisher and Editor Leo Gutterman wrote this for the first edition:

With this issue, you and WISDOM embark together on a glorious adventure unique in the annals of magazine publishing.

In the greatest mental and cultural renaissance of modern times, millions of American men and women, weary of the materialism which has dominated the world for so long, have turned aside to satisfy and gratify another basic hunger: the hunger of the mind. With steadily mounting national income- and a standard of living unparalleled in world history, with shorter work hours and longer leisure hours, with an all-time high in higher education-millions of intelligent Americans are taking advantage of every educational and cultural facility available on a scale never before equaled or even approached.

Since the vast majority’ are busy men and women, with only limited time for desired reading and study, it quickly became evident that their greatest need was a single source for the knowledge and information they wanted. WISDOM was created to fill this need.

WISDOM is the first magazine of its kind ever published. It is new, unique, original-unlike anything you have ever experienced before. It is designed for intelligent men and women of all ages who seek wisdom through knowledge. In words and pictures it brings you the Great Minds of all time-past and present-in every field of human thought and action. It reaches to all parts of the world for outstanding articles and pictures to bring you a clear, quick, full understanding of today’s knowledge and achievements. If your time is limited but your interests are not-if you want to go on learning and gain more knowledge in less time -you will find WISDOM a rich and satisfying magazine.

Ideas are the essence of WISDOM. In its pages, man’s greatest deeds and noblest thoughts come alive with warmth and clarity. They are given greater realism and new significance through dramatic, pictorial presentation.

In WISDOM the world’s greatest authorities bring you-from the parade of the past to the panorama of the present-the timeless wisdom that can be applied to your everyday thinking.

In WISDOM the authors speak for themselves and the readers think for themselves. You will find WISDOM as permanently satisfying as the pursuit of wisdom is endless.

The scope of WISDOM is unlimited. It is as broad as the span of centuries, as varied as the interests of man. Now, for the first time, the wisdom of the world is gathered, selected and presented for you in a single magazine With WISDOM your imagination is stimulated and your life becomes richer through your companionship with the travelers of the spirit and the pioneers of thought-from Shakespeare to psychosomatics, from Aristotle on ethics to Einstein on atoms.

Whatever your general or specialized interests may be, WISDOM brings you more information on more subjects than have ever been brought together in one magazine: in Art, Biography, Books, Business, Education, Government, History, Humor, Industry, Law, Literature, Medicine, Movies, Music, Nature, Philosophy, Press, Psychology, Religion, Science, Television, Theatre, Travel, World Affairs. We have charted our course. Our only direction is forward – into the future. For the rest of your life each issue of WISDOM will be a perpetual source of reading enjoyment and inspiration. We believe that for you and for WISDOM, the glorious adventure will never end.

It was agreed upon that the first issue would be wholly editorial without advertisements. Articles in the first issue included those by Dwight D. Eisenhower, David Sarnoff, Somerset Maugham, Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, Carl Sandburg, Bertrand Russell and Norman Vincent Peale among others.

Wisdom Magazine was not sold on the newsstand, it was sold only by subscription or by becoming a member of the Wisdom Society.