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- ---------------- U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGED COMMISION ----------------------------
|F O R M 4| Washington, D.C. 20549 | OMB APPROVAL |
- ---------------- |--------------------------|
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP |OMB Number 3235-0287|
[ ] Check this box if |Expires: September 30,1998|
no longer Subject Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchanged Act of 1934, |Estimated ave. burden |
to Section 16. Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or |hours per response.....0.5|
Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act 1940 ----------------------------
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|1.Name and Address of Reporting Person* |2.Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol |6.Relationship of Reporting Person to |
| | | Issuer (Check all Applicable) |
|Oswald John H |Houghton Mifflin Company (HTN) | |
| | | Director 10% Owner |
|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|--- --- |
| (Last) (First) (MI)|3.IRS or Soc. Sec. No. |4.Statement for Month/ | X Officer Other |
| | of Reporting Person | Year |---(give title below) ---(Specify below)|
| Riverside Publishing Company | (Voluntary) | | |
| 425 Spring Lake Drive | | October 1997 | Executive Vice President, |
| | | | Houghton Mifflin Company |
|----------------------------------------| |------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| (Street) | |5.If Amendment, Date of |7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing |
| | | Original (Month/Year) | (Check Applicable Line) |
| | | | |
|Itaska IL 60143-2079| | | X Form filed by One Reporting Person |
| | | |--- |
| | | | Form filed by More than One |
| | | |--- Reporting Person |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (City) (State) (Zip) |
| TABLE I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of or Beneficially Owned |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|1.Title of Security |2.Transac- |3.Trans. |4.Security Acquired (A) or |5.Amount of |6. |7.Nature of Indirect|
| (Instr. 3) | tion Date | Code | Disposed of (D) | Securities |Own.| Beneficial |
| |(Mon/Day/Yr)|(Instr.8)| (Instr. 3, 4 & 5) | Beneficially |Form| Ownership |
| | |---------|-------------------------------| Owned at End of|(D) | (Instr. 4) |
| | | | | |(A) | | Month |or | |
| | |Code| V | Amount |(D) | Price | (Instr. 3 & 4) |(I) | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|<S> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |
|Common Stock | 10/28/1997 | M | V | 1600 | A | $17.6250| | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|Common Stock | 10/28/1997 | F | V | 1059 | D | $35.2500| 39881 | D | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|Common Stock | | | | | | $.0000| 2270.265 | I |401(k) Plan |
| | | | | | | | |(01)| |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class securities owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1474 (7-96)
*If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
PAGE: 1 OF 2
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FORM 4 (continued) TABLE II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible security)
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|1.Title of|2.Conver-|3. |4.Tran- |5.Number of |6.Date |7.Title and Amount |8.Price of|9.Number |10. |11.Nature |
|Derivative|sion or |Trans| saction| Derivative |Exercisable| of Underlying |Derivative| of |Own.| of |
|Security |Exercise |Date | Code | Securities |and | Securities |Security |Derivative|Form|Indirect |
|(Instr. 3)|Price of |(Mon/|(Instr.8)| Acquired (A) or |Expiration | (Instr. 3 & 4) |(Instr. 5)|Securities|of |Beneficial|
| |Deriva- | Day/| | Disposed of (D) |Date | | |Benefi- |Deri|Ownership |
| |tive |Year)| | (Instr. 3, 4 & 5) |(Month/Day/| | |cially |Sec.|(Instr. 4)|
| |Security | | | | Year) | | |Owned at |Dir.| |
| | | | | |-----------|---------------------| |End of |(D) | |
| | | | | | | | |Amount or | |Month |or | |
| | | |---------|---------------------|Date |Exp. | Title |Number of | |(Instr. 4)|Ind.| |
| | | |Code| V | (A) | (D) |Exbl.|Date | |Shares | | |(I) | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|<S> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |<C> |
|Stock Opti| $17.6250|10/28| M | V | | 1600| |10/31|Common Sto| 1600| | 0| D | |
|on | | 1997| | | | | | 1997|ck | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|Stock Opti| $22.3125| | | | | | |07/27|Common Sto| 6000| | 6000| D | |
|on | | | | | | | | 1998|ck | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | (02)| | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|Stock Opti| $22.8750| | | | | | |10/24|Common Sto| 24000| | 24000| D | |
|on | | | | | | | | 1999|ck | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | (03)| | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|Stock Opti| $21.3750| | | | | | |10/23|Common Sto| 24000| | 24000| D | |
|on | | | | | | | | 2000|ck | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | (04)| | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|Performanc| | | | | | |12/31|12/31|Common Sto| 8000| | 8000| D | |
|e Shar| | | | | | | 1997| 1997|ck | | | | | |
|e | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | (05)| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Explanation of Responses:
(01) Held by the Houghton Mifflin Company 401(k) Savings Plan ("401(k) Plan"). Includes shares acquired through September 30
, 1997.
(02) Currently exercisable as to all shares.
(03) Granted under the Houghton Mifflin Company 1992 Stock Compensation Plan in a transaction exempt under old Rule 16b-3. T
he option becomes exercisable in five equal annual installments beginning October 25, 1994.
(04) Currently exercisable as to 14,400 shares; 4,800 shares will become exercisable on each of October 24, 1998 and October
24, 1999.
(05) Award of performance shares under the Houghton Mifflin Company 1995 Stock Compensation Plan in a transaction exempt unde
r old Rule 16b-3. Each share representsthe right to receive on the payout date an amount half in stock and half in cash
based on the market value of the shares on such date, provided that certain performance criteria are satisfied.
**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal /s/Lois Novotny 11/03/1997
Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). ------------------------------------------ ----------
**Signature of Reporting Person Date
Note: File three copies of this form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. SEC 1474 (7-96)
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not
required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMD Number
Oswald, John Houghton Mifflin Company OCT-1997 PAGE: 2 OF 2
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