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Papers of
Edwin G. Cohen
Processed by: Max Grivno
January 1999
80.0 lin. ft.
Biography | Scope and Content | Provenance | Series Descriptions
Born in Los Angeles, California, in December 1925, Edwin G. Cohen has had a long and distinguished career in educational television, serving as the director of several major educational and instructional television agencies. After graduating from Los Angeles Manual Arts High School in 1943, Cohen enlisted in the Navy and entered the reserve officers training program at Southwestern University and the University of Texas. Upon completing his training, Cohen received his commission and served on Guam, where he worked in the Educational Services Office. After three years of service, Cohen returned to the United States and completed his undergraduate education at the University of Texas, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Naval Science and a bachelor's degree in history.
Returning to Los Angeles, Cohen entered graduate school at UCLA, where he completed his master's degree in 1953. Recalled to active duty during the Korean Conflict, Cohen served at the fleet training center in San Diego, California, where he worked as a training aids officer and administrator of an audiovisual program. After working with instructional technology in the military, Cohen pursued a doctoral degree in audiovisual education at the Indiana University School of Education.
In 1955, Cohen was appointed head of the National Educational Television Film Service (NET Film Service), which was located at Indiana University. Three years later, he accepted a position as program associate at the Educational Television and Radio Center (ETRC), in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he served as liaison to NBC and the Metropolitan Educational Television Association (META)
When ETRC moved to New York City and became the National Educational Television and Radio Center - and later National Educational Television, or NET - Cohen assumed responsibility for children's programming, science programming, and social sciences programming. In 1962, he became director of the National Instructional Television Library (NITL), a demonstration project funded by the U.S. Office of Education and contractually supported by NET. While at NITL, Cohen was responsible for facilitating the exchange of instructional programs between American schools and universities.
In 1965, NITL relocated to Bloomington, Indiana, and became the National Center for School and College Television (NCSCT). Supported by a loan from the Indiana University Foundation, the agency remained in existence until 1968, when it became self-supporting and changed its name to the National Instructional Television Center (NIT). Cohen served as the agency's executive director, overseeing the conception and design of instructional programming for American and Canadian schools. In 1973, NIT became the Agency for Instructional Television (AIT), which in 1984 changed its name to the Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT). Cohen served as executive director for both organizations until his retirement in 1990.
The Papers of Edwin G. Cohen document the growth and operation of several educational and instructional film and television agencies. The collection offers insights to the conception, design, and distribution of educational programs, the implementation of audiovisual and televised instruction in schools, and the development of educational technology. More specifically, the collection contains correspondence, minutes, research reports on instructional technology, and design material for educational programming. The collection spans the years 1958 through 1990 and contains some undated material.
The collection consists of six series:
- Series 1: National Instructional Television Library Project (NITL)
- Series 2: National Center for School and College Television (NCSCT)
- Series 3: National Instructional Television Center (NIT)
- Series 4: Agency for Instructional Television/Technology (AIT)
- Series 5: Publications and Materials from Educational Broadcasting Organizations
- Series 6: Kinescopes - NET - "A Time to Dance"
The Papers of Edwin G. Cohen were donated to the National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland Libraries by Edwin G. Cohen in October of 1990 and September of 1996.
Series 1: National Instructional Television Library Project (NITL), 1961-1965 (1.0 lin. ft.)
This series contains catalogs, correspondence, financial records, and various records from NITL. The materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
Series 2: National Center for School and College Television (NCSCT), 1962-1968 (1.0 lin. ft.)
This series contains documents concerning the history and operation of the National Center for School and College Television, including budgetary and financial information, notes on program development and distribution, and research on Instructional Television and Technology development. Materials in this series are arranged alphabetically.
Series 3: National Instructional Television Center (NIT), 1966-1973 (3.0 lin. ft.)
The materials in this series document the founding, development, and operation of the National Instructional Television Center. The series contains budgetary and financial information, note on government relations, promotional materials and catalogs, correspondence with international instructional television agencies, and information on the research, design, and distribution of NIT programs. The material in this series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 4: Agency for Instructional Television/Technology (AIT), 1973-1994 (18.5 lin. ft.)
Materials from the Agency for Instructional Television/Technology (AIT) constitute the bulk of the Edwin G. Cohen Papers. Documenting the history and operations of AIT, this series contains minutes from the AIT advisory committee, board of directors, and the executive committee, as well as correspondence, financial records, notes of government and foundation relations, and information concerning the design, development, and distribution of educational films and computer technology. The material in this series is arranged alphabetically, with meetings arranged chronologically.
Series 5: Publications and Materials from Educational Broadcasting Organizations, 1962-1996 (3.0 lin. ft.)
This series contains materials from a variety of educational and instructional technology agencies, including the Center for Instructional Television, the Great Plains Regional Instructional Television Library, and the Eastern Educational Network - Northeastern Regional Instructional Television Library Project. The series also contains various publications and reports concerning instructional technology, including several volumes of the Compendium of Television Education. The material is this series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 6: Kinescopes - NET - "A Time to Dance" (3 reels)
The only extant copies of the NET documentary "A Time to Dance," which focuses on professional dance in the United States.
