ɪstˈæblɪʃt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɛvən baɪ ɐ ɡɹˈuːp ʌv pɹˈɑːmɪnənt sˈɪɾɪzənz lˈɛd baɪ jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊ tʃˈænsɛlɚ ɹˈɑːbɚt mˈeɪnɑːɹd hˈʌtʃɪnz ænd mˈɔːɹɾɪmɚɹ ˈædlɚ, ðə ɡɹˈeɪt bˈʊks faʊndˈeɪʃən bɪɡˈæn æz ɐ ɡɹˈæsɹuːts mˈuːvmənt tə pɹəmˈoʊt kəntˈɪnjuːɪŋ lˈɪbɚɹəl ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən fɚðə dʒˈɛnɚɹəl pˈʌblɪk.
Established in 1947 by a group of prominent citizens led by University of Chicago Chancellor Robert Maynard Hutchins and Mortimer Adler, the Great Books Foundation began as a grassroots movement to promote continuing liberal education for the general public.