There are some minor differences in theory, and in outline construction between those early pre-Anniversary series, but for the most part, they are very similar. As a matter of fact, Dr. Gregg was perfectly happy with the earlier editions of Gregg (1902 and before). The additional expedients in the 1916 edition came because teachers demanded them, not because they were absolutely necessary.

Although he delegated the writing of the Anniversary manual to Mr. Rupert Sorelle, Dr. Gregg had full control of that project, so that was the last published series in which he was personally involved. At the time of his death in 1948, he was working with Mr. Clyde Blanchard on a revised new manual, because he really was never satisfied with the presentation of the Anniversary manual — he had been working on a new manual off and on starting a few years after the publication of the Anniversary manual, but had put off this project because of the war. Shortly after Dr. Gregg's death, McGraw-Hill acquired the Gregg Publishing Company, and Dr. Gregg's wife Janet became the President for a short while. The revised new manual was then completed by Mrs. Gregg and Mr. Blanchard, and a galley proof was produced. At the same time, Mr. Louis Leslie, who at the time was one of Dr. Gregg's assistants, was preparing a separate manual of his own (this effort was unbeknownst to Mrs. Gregg, as he was working on it in his spare time). When the new Gregg manual was about to be sent to press, the powers that be at McGraw-Hill decided to publish Leslie's manual instead, and that's how the Simplified series was born. Shortly after the publication of the Simplified series, Mrs. Gregg left the company and retired, and the Gregg Division was reorganized. Mr. Blanchard stayed in the company for a little longer, but left to become Dean of the Business School at the University of Tulsa. He kept collaborating with McGraw-Hill on revisions of Gregg Speed Building for Colleges and the Expert Shorthand Speed Course books.