InterVarsity Press began as a small service branch of InterVarsity Christian Fellowshipcampus ministry, which had its U.S. beginnings in the 1939–1940 academic year. At first IVP imported books from Inter-Varsity Press in Great Britain, which despite the similar name is a different publisher, for use by college students and IVCF chapters in the United States. IVP's first home-grown publication was a Bible study guide, Discovering the Gospel of Mark, written by an IVCF staff member and published under the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship name in the 1943–1944 academic year. In 1947 IVP's formal publishing program was established; since that date books have been published under the InterVarsity Press name. In 1960 IVP's editorial offices moved from Havertown, Pennsylvania, to Chicago, where the IVCF offices were then located. In 1965 IVP published its first bestseller, How to Give Away Your Faith by Paul Little. In 1966 IVP also moved its offices from Chicago to Downers Grove, approximately 30 miles west. In 1968 Jim Nyquist became IVP's full-time director and Jim Sire became IVP's first full-time editor. Shortly afterward, IVP began publishing Francis Schaeffer’s works, beginning with The God Who Is There. Over the course of the 1970s and 80s, many of IVP's key books were published, including Knowing God by J. I. Packer, The Singer by Calvin Miller, The Fight by John White, The UniverseNext Door by James W. Sire, Out of the Saltshaker by Rebecca Manley Pippert and A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene H. Peterson. In 1984 Linda Doll became director of IVP. The next year LifeGuide Bible Studies were launched; they have now sold over 10 million copies. In 1990, Ken DeRuiter became executive director of IVP. Then in 1997, after Ken DeRuiter's retirement, Bob Fryling joined IVP as director. IVP had built a warehouse/distribution center in nearby Westmont during 1979. In January 1995, after 29 years in Downers Grove, IVP moved to new offices constructed adjacent to the distribution center. Today InterVarsity Press has a staff of nearly one hundred, publishing ninety to one hundred titles every year. IVP has more than one thousand books, Bible studies and booklets in print, shipping more than 2.3 million books each year. In 2009 IVP won several Theologos awards.
