This collection includes papers, publications, slides, negatives, and prints from SJSC and SJSU's Instructional Television Program. Subjects include the various classes taught at the University and the creation and implementation of the pilot series of the Instructional Television Program.

In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square before the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal School is now San José State University (SJSU), offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is now recognized as one of the top public universities in the Western United States. San Jose State started a pilot school using instructional television in 1955. In 1957, the state legislature officially included the program in its budget. The project was established to enable students to observe educational practices in elementary and high school education so that they could better prepare themselves to become teachers. Another critical use of the instructional television equipment was to project the instructor's materials and activities in a large format so the students could view them better. For example, the science classes could view the contents of microscopes as a class. Another use allowed instructors to proctor exams without physically overseeing them. Classes were also offered via local television station KNTV, enabling students to attend courses from the comfort of their own homes, pre-dating SJSU's online program. The ITV program remained in use by SJSU until the late 1970s.

11 boxes (11 linear feet)

Copyright has been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections and Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Collection is open for research.