 The owner of Sears, philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, was friends with Horace Hooper and enthusiastic about the "Britannica's" promise; he single-handedly saved the "Britannica" from bankruptcy several times over the next fifteen years.Although Sears' handy set was successful in 1915–1916, sales dropped significantly when the United States entered World War I.The 11th edition employed 35 named female contributors, out of 1500 total (2.3%).