Indiana School of the Sky records, 1947-1964
A Guide to the Collection at the Indiana University
Archives
Finding aid prepared by Laura Bell
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Indiana School of the Sky, Department of Radio and Television, Indiana University.
Title
Indiana School of the Sky records, 1947-1964
Collection No.
C643
Extent
3.4 cubic feet (4 boxes)
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
The
Indiana School of the Sky radio program of the Indiana University Department of Radio and Television began broadcasting educational radio programs
in 1947 and continued through the early 1960s. The program reached schools throughout Indiana and nearby states and led to
new course offerings at IU. Indiana University students performed in the radio programs originally intended for children ages
4-8 aired for 15 minutes during each school day. Eventually the popularity of the programs called for high school programming
as well, and later adults also tuned into the programs. This collection includes many of the scripts and the teaching manuals
for the programs.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
Administrative History
The
Indiana School of the Sky radio program was created by the Indiana University Department of Radio and Television. Between 1947 and the early 1960s,
Indiana University's
School of the Sky, in cooperation with regional radio stations and the Indiana Department of Education, broadcasted educational programs to
thousands of classrooms in Indiana and nearby states during each school day. The programs originally focused on several topical
series including Music, Social Studies, Art, Science, and The Story Book. Each program aired on a different day of the school
week for fifteen minutes. As the radio show expanded the lineup eventually added programs including the “Books Series,” the
“Children's Workshop,” the “Guidance Series,” the “History Series,” the “How it Happened Series,” the “Library Series,” the
“Literature Series,” the “Music Series,” the “News Review Series,” the “News Series,” the “Patterns of Living Series,” the
“Science Series,” and the “Social Studies Series.” The programs were performed by Indiana University students and eventually
reached listeners across the country. The success of the program and its growth lead to new course offerings in radio and
television at IU and an advanced radio broadcasting station at the university.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series: Scripts and Teaching manuals. Each series is arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of two series: Scripts (1947-1962) and Teaching manuals (1947-1964). The collection is incomplete
and does not contain every volume of scripts for every radio program series or every teaching manual for each year.
The first series, the Scripts (1947-1962), consists of bound volumes containing detailed radio show scripts for many of the
radio programs. These programs are organized by the different “series” of topics which the
School of the Sky used to focus on several themes aimed at a younger audience.
The volumes of scripts provide a detailed outline of how the different radio shows were performed and show the topics the
program found relevant at the time. Several of the radio programs such as the “Literature Series,” the “Library Series,”
the “Music Series,” and the “Science Series” introduce listeners to famous authors, musicians, and scientists. Other programs
including the “Guidance Series” and the “Patterns of Living Series” introduced listeners to the issues they would face as
they matured. And other programs such as the “History Series,” the “News” and “How It Happened Series” covered both historical
and current world events.
The second series in this collection, Teaching manuals (1947-1964), consists of published manuals distributed to teachers.
The manuals include detailed program descriptions for the academic year, programming schedules, as well as information about
production staff and advisory committees.
Related Material
Related photographs may be available in the
Indiana University Archives Photograph Collection.
Additional material related to radio programming at Indiana University can be found in the
Indiana University Department of Radio and Television Chair's records, Collection C104.
Some recordings of the original broadcasts are digitized and available via
Media Collections Online
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accessions: 2016/097, 2017/004
Usage RestrictionsCopyrights for records originating with Indiana University administrative units, departments, and other offices are held by
the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for
non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility
for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials.
Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these
materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational
and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its
inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
Preferred Citation
[item], Indiana School of the Sky records, Collection C643, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Provenance
Scripts transferred from the IU Libraries circulating collection.
Processing InformationProcessed by Laura Bell
Completed in 2016
Container List
Series:
Box 1
Scripts,1947-1962
1947-1948
Volume 4 of 5 (Science Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (30)
- "Animal Storehouse"
- "Homes for Winter"
- "Plant Storehouse"
- "Seeds and Their Travels"
- "Autumn Changes the Trees"
- "More Preparation for Winter"
- "Bird Travelers"
- "Animal Travelers"
- "Winter Sleepers"
- "More Winter Sleepers"
- "Plants in Christmas Array"
- "Benediction to a Saviour: Part It"
- "Fun with Magnets"
- "Magnets at Work"
- "Sparks and Currents"
- "A Magic Servant"
- "A Modern Messenger"
- "Words Over Wires"
- "Heat from a Blazing Sun"
- "The Sun's Powerhouse"
- "Through a Lens"
- "Our Ocean of Air"
- "Air Pressure at Work"
- "Air in Motion"
- "Good Air for Health"
- "Struggle for Life"
- "Helping Each Other"
- "Life in an Aquarium"
- "Man Upsets the Balance"
- "Looking Back: A Summary"
1951
Volume 1 of 5 (History Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "Introduction: Living Ideas"
- "Pharaoh Finds a New Belief"
- "Man Discovers His Conscience"
- "Man Discovers His Mind"
- "A Message for All Men"
- "A Quiet Mind in a World at War"
- "Man’s Moral Duties"
- "The Man Who Multiplied Words"
- "Questions Bring New Ideas"
- "Science Finds Unity"
- "The People Find a Champion"
- "Children Find a Friend"
Volume 2 of 5 (Guidance Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "The Time is Now"
- "We’re Only Human"
- "Where the Generations Meet"
- "The Tie That Binds"
- "Children are People Too"
- "Have a Good Time"
- "Money in Your Pocket"
- "Get Your Money’s Worth"
- "How Do You Feel?"
- "How About a Date?"
- "Are You a Good Marriage Bet?"
- "The Beginning of a New Story"
Volume 3 of 5 (Science Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "Introduction"
- "From Theory to Practice"
- "From Practice to Theory"
- "Water Keeps Us Going"
- "Nature Keeps a Balance"
- "When the Weather Changes"
- "Plants for Human Use"
- "New Speeds, New Discoveries"
- "A Theory Creates an Industry"
- "Man is a Builder"
- "New Materials, New Buildings"
- "Let There Be Light"
Volume 4 of 5 (News Review Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "It’s Your World"
- "Report on Korea"
- "Report on Germany"
- "Report on Russia"
- "President Harry S. Truman"
- "General Dwight Eisenhower"
- "Story of Babe Ruth"
- "General Douglas Macarthur"
- "Winston Churchill"
- "Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt"
- "Mao-Tse-Tung"
- "Review of the News"
1951-1952
Volume 1 of 3 (History and Guidance Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (20)
- "Freedom Forms a New Government: The Constitution"
- "Freedom Forms a New Government: The Bill of Rights"
- "A New Answer for an Old Question: Darwin"
- "Women Find a Leader: Susan Anthony"
- "A New Profession For Women: Nightingale"
- "An Ancient Theory Dies: Pasteur"
- "Labor Finds a Leader: Gompers"
- "Mass Production Begins: Eli Whitney"
- "A Peaceful Warrior: Gandhi"
- "A New View of the Universe: Einstein"
- "Money Comes from Jobs"
- "Thirty Thousand Doors"
- "Who Works at What?"
- "What Do You Like?"
- "What Can You Do?"
- "Experience Counts"
- "What the Boss Wants"
- "Doors that Never Open"
- "How Do I Get the Job?"
- "The Final Score"
Volume 2 of 3 (Children's Workshop Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (20)
- "A Midget Named Jackie; Creation of Story"
- "A Midget Named Jackie"
- "The Hornet Who Wouldn’t Leave Home; Creation of Story"
- "The Hornet Who Wouldn’t Leave Home"
- "The Lost Letter; Creation of Story"
- "The Lost Letter"
- "The Blue Bug and the Weasel; Creation of Story"
- "The Blue Bug and the Weasel"
- "The Cap Pistol That Wouldn’t Stay Lost; Creation of Story"
- "The Cap Pistol That Wouldn’t Stay Lost"
- "The Case of the Missing Space Hat; Creation of Story"
- "The Case of the Missing Space Hat"
- "The United Nations Flag; Creation of Story"
- "The United Nations Flag"
- "The Amazing Mr. Robert; Creation of Story"
- "The Amazing Mr. Robert"
- "You’ve Got to Have a Nose for News; Creation of Story"
- "You’ve Got to Have a Nose for News"
- "Umbrella Island: Creation of Story"
- "Umbrella Island"
Volume 3 of 3 (News Review Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (19)
- "Review"
- "Report on World Series"
- "Report on United Nations"
- "Report on Basketball Scandal"
- "Report on English Elections"
- "Report on Big Three Peace Plan"
- "Report on Anglo-Egyptian Sudan"
- "Report on Robert Vogeler Case"
- "Report on the 1951 Nobel Prizes"
- "Review"
- "Review"
- "Report on Hawaii"
- "Report on Alaska"
- "Report on Selection of News"
- "Report on Primary Elections"
- "Report on General Matthew B. Ridgway"
- "Report on the Baseball Season"
- "Report on New Visitors to Indiana"
- "Report on Indiana Elections"
1952-1953
Library Series
Programs include:
-
View All (24)
- "Introduction"
- "Shelves of Treasure"
- "Information Unlimited"
- "Growing Up"
- "Guineas, Crowns, and Dollars"
- "Mind Your Manners"
- "By Word of Mouth"
- "Heroes in Danger"
- "What’s in a Word?"
- "The Skies at Night"
- "The Golden Spike"
- "Wires that Glow"
- "Words Across the Sea"
- "Farm and Field"
- "Music and Music Makers"
- "Winners and Losers"
- "The Chalcid Fly"
- "America Laughs"
- "On Stage"
- "Places Far Away"
- "Buried Cities"
- "Stranger Than Fiction"
- "Land of Promise"
- "What Makes a Book"
1953-1954
Volume 1 of 2 (News Review Series)
Includes weekly programs from October 9-December 25, 1953 and February 26-May 14, 1954.
Box 3
Volume 2 of 2 (Music Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (24)
- "The Symphony Orchestra"
- "The Violin II"
- "The Viola"
- "The Cello"
- "The Double Bass"
- "The String Quartet"
- "The Flute"
- "The Oboe"
- "The English Horn"
- "The Clarinet"
- "The Bassoon"
- "The Saxophone"
- "Woodwind Ensemble"
- "The French Horn"
- "The Trumpet"
- "The Trombone"
- "The Tuba"
- "The Brass Choir"
- "The Piano"
- "The Drums"
- "Percussion"
- "The Harp"
- "Chamber Music"
- "The Symphony Orchestra"
1954-1955
Volume 2 of 5 (Social Studies Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (24)
- "Our Wonderful World"
- "Sounds of the City"
- "A City is Built"
- "Our School"
- "Stop and Go"
- "Riding the Bus"
- "Service Station"
- "Who's at the Door"
- "The Talking Telephone"
- "Supermarket"
- "Suppertime"
- "Christmas Shopping"
- "Who Shovels the Snow"
- "Our Helpers in Safety"
- "This is Television"
- "Let's Take a Trip"
- "By Train"
- "By Plane"
- "Wind and Rain"
- "Seeds for the Garden"
- "Springtime on the Farm"
- "Let's Build a House"
- "Highways in Summer"
- "We All Work Together"
Volume 3 of 5 (Guidance Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (24)
- "Introduction"
- "Agriculture"
- "Mining"
- "Medical Service Occupations"
- "Character and Personality"
- "Banking and Finance"
- "Manufacturing"
- "Business"
- "Building Trades"
- "Basic Needs and Interests"
- "Printing Occupations"
- "Railroad Occupations"
- "Aviation"
- "Broadcasting"
- "Abilities and Aptitudes"
- "Teaching"
- "Office Occupations"
- "Service Occupations"
- "Changing Your Plans"
- "Mechanics and Servicemen"
- "Public Contact Occupations"
- "Labor and Management"
- "Machine Trades"
- "Time for Relaxation"
Volume 4 of 5 (Music Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (24)
- "What’s In an Orchestra?"
- "The Sea and Its Moods"
- "Music About Autumn"
- "A Trip to London"
- "When Witches Ride"
- "Mountains are Different"
- "Do You Know Any Folk Songs?"
- "Let’s Visit France"
- "Let’s Give Thanks"
- "When Cowboys Sang"
- "A Christmas Toyland"
- "How Old Are Christmas Carols?"
- "Music For Grandma Moses?"
- "Winter is Cold"
- "All People Dance"
- "Indians in Music"
- "Music of the City"
- "Spring is Here"
- "Easter Means Many Things"
- "The Time For Singing Birds"
- "What About the Weather"
- "The City of Seven Hills"
- "The Month of Flowers"
- "Picnics Are Here"
Volume 5 of 5 (News Review Series)
Includes weekly programs from October 1-December 17, 1954 and February 25-May 13, 1955. There is no script present for March
11, 1955.
1955-1956
Volume 2 of 5 (Social Studies Series
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "Railroads"
- "Meat Packing"
- "Musical Instruments"
- "Coal Mining"
- "Limestone"
- "Soy Beans"
- "Automobile Manufacturing"
- "The Steel Industry"
- "Vegetable Canning"
- "Electronics"
- "Kitchens"
- "Oil Refining"
1956-1957
Volume 4 of 4 (News Review Series)
Includes weekly programs from September 28-December 14, 1956 and February 15-May 3, 1957.
1960-1961
Volume 1 of 2 (News Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (24)
- "Phases of News"
- "To Segregate or Not to Segregate"
- "The National Election"
- "Emotional Factors in Voting"
- "Kennedy vs. Nixon"
- "The American Middle Class Family"
- "Cuba: On The Fence"
- "Agrarian Reform Program"
- "Castro – Cuba’s Main Problem"
- "John Kennedy Our Next President"
- "Responsibilities of the President"
- "How Important is the Congo"
- "The President’s Job of Running the Country"
- "International Trade"
- "The Capture of Adolf Eichman"
- "Eichman Tells His Story"
- "Eichman’s Trail"
- "Let No Man Forget"
- "The Creation of the Commune System in China"
- "The Stock Market Working for the Entire Economy"
- "India’s Problems After Her Independence"
- "India’s March Toward a Place Among the Great Nations"
- "The Economic Effects of Disarmament"
- "Invasions Against Castro"
Volume 2 of 2 (Literature Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "Russia: Feodor Dostoevski"
- "Russia: Leo Tolstoy"
- "Russia: Anton Checkhov"
- "Germany: Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe"
- "Germany: Thomas Mann"
- "France: Victor Hugo"
- "France: Honoré de Balzac"
- "France: Guy de Maupassant"
- "Norway: Henrik Ibsen"
- "Norway: Sigrid Undset"
- "Sweden: Johan August Strindberg"
- "Italy: Luigi Pirandello"
1961-1962
Volume 2 of 3 (Patterns of Living Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (23)
- "Preview"
- "The Oldest Way"
- "Many Patterns"
- "Patterns Change"
- "Needs and Desires"
- "Mine, Yours, and Ours"
- "The World Outside"
- "Dividing the Load"
- "Toward Maturity"
- "Roads to Maturity"
- "Many Demands"
- "Passing the Torch"
- "Status and Change"
- "Purpose and Method"
- "Freedom and Security"
- "Myself and Others"
- "Many Controls"
- "The General Welfare"
- "Tools of Culture"
- "Caste and Class"
- "Man and Maker"
- "For All Men"
- "For Me Alone"
Volume 3 of 3 (How It Happened Series)
Programs include:
-
View All (12)
- "Peace Corps"
- "Congressional Committees"
- "American Air Forces’ Strategic Air Command"
- "Transportation"
- "Satelites"
- "The European Common Market – Part I"
- "The European Common Market – Part II"
- "The Drop in Milk Drinking"
- "Indian Claims Commission"
- "West Berlin"
- "Freedom of the Press"
- "Keeping Our Natural Resources"
Series:
Box 3
Teaching Manuals, 1947-1964
1947-1948
1948-1949
1949-1950
1951-1952
1952-1953
1953-1954
1954-1955
1955-1956
1956-1957
1957-1958
1958-1959
1959-1960
1960-1961
1961-1962
1962-1963
1963-1964