BIOGHIST REQUIRED In 1952, the Communications Materials Center of Columbia University Press and the American Broadcasting Network collaborated on a public service series that was one of 300 television classes offered to the general public. Franklin Dunham, Chief of Radio of the U.S. Department of Education, spearheaded the effort which included 80 colleges and universities, and 30 public and parochial schools throughout the United State of America. Seminar was patterned on the American Civilization course which studied the factors contributing to American civilization through the reading of great books. Viewers purchased a syllabus from Columbia University's School of General Studies for twenty-five cents and, over the course of semester, followed Professor Bigelow and his students as they discussed specific topics each week. Over three hundred students wrote for the booklet for the course that ran from October 1952 through May 1953. Though no credit was given to television viewers for the course, participants did have the option of requesting an exam--which would be graded free of charge. Western Reserve College in Cleveland, Ohio estimated that television-taught students scored 20%- 25 % higher than matriculated seminar participants. There are no statistics for the Columbia course.
From the guide to the Seminar: American Civilization on the American Broadcasting Network records, 1952-1953., (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library)
