American Association for Adult Education records

1939-1940

The American Association for Adult Education is an organization which promotes continuing education and education for adults. It was organized on under a committee structure with a Director in charge. The American Association for Adult Education, records c. 1939-1940, focuses on a radio survey. This survey concerns radio listeners who used the radio for educational purposes and was conducted across the United States and abroad. Responses from Europe were scarce and discontinued because of World War II. The A: A: E: C: cooperated with the Federal Radio Educational Committee who conducted the study. Both the A. A. E. C. and the Federal Radio Committee was headed by Frank Ernest Hill during this time period. It should be noted that both of these organizations were physically in the same building. The Federal Radio Committee, in turn, was headed by the United States Commission of Education.

There were two types of questionnaires sent out. The first type was sent to radio stations, colleges, libraries, all C. C. C. camps, YMCA"s etc. This survey was designed to locate "listening groups". The second survey was sent to the "listening groups", which would establish information about the groups. There were groups called "designated listening groups", because they registered with their radio station as a listening group. The results from this survey were to be used to promote better education by radio. The American Town Hall Meeting of the Air and, also, Levering Tyson, director of The National Advisory Council on Radio in Education took part in this survey.