OU On the Tube

From the June 1952 Injun alumni magazine

 

OU Inaugurates TV Classroom for Credit

Your University entered the uncharted waters of educational-credit television programming on April 28—among the first six universities in the nation to launch such a program.

 

It was the middle of March when Dr. Bail and KMTV’s manager conceived the Midwest’s first TV Classroom. A few days after the initial program more than 100 viewers had registered for the course, a humanities offering called “Six Views of Life.” The 15-minute lectures five mornings a week are aimed primarily at housewives.

 

The University has accepted a 52-week commitment to provide college-level educational fare for the 130,000 television homes in the viewing area. Certificates of Completion will be issued to viewers who use the weekly quiz and scoring services.

 

 

From the 1953 Tomahawk yearbook:

TV Classroom

In April 1952, Omaha U initiated a plan for getting college credits while at home. The plan, called the “Television Classroom,” has been seen on station KMTV five days per week ever since.

 

Miss Ellen Lord, OU Librarian, opened this fall’s program with a six-week series on contemporary books for adults. The second series was on family financial management and was taught by business instructors Glenn Lewis, William Hockett and R. Wayne Wilson.

 

Dr. Wilfred Payne, who was the first TV Classroom speaker, returned in January for a six-week series entitled “What Modern Man Thinks.” He was followed by business instructor Paul Crossman, whose subject was “Your Federal Income Tax.”

 

Government instructor William Utley returned in March to discuss “The Washington Scene.”

 

The Classroom gives persons the chance to earn their credits while at home . . . but they must take weekly quizzes and a final examination to qualify for the credits.