"Distance education"

The University of Wisconsin did not do the very first education by mail, but it played a massive and pioneering role in the movement—even coining the term “distance education” in 1892. [1, 2, 3]

The earliest recorded education by mail dates back to 1728 when Caleb Phillips advertised weekly mailed shorthand lessons in the Boston Gazette, and Sir Isaac Pitman famously taught shorthand via postal mail in England in the 1840s. In the U.S., Boston's Society to Encourage Studies at Home began correspondence education in 1873, and the University of Chicago established a major correspondence teaching department in the 1890s. [1, 2, 3]

However, the University of Wisconsin–Madison achieved several key milestones in distance learning:

1892: Professor Richard Ely directed the university's first formal correspondence study program.
1892: The university used the term "distance education" for the first time in a published U.S. pamphlet.
1906: The formal creation of the University of Wisconsin-Extension cemented the school as a premier national leader in bringing adult and non-traditional education directly to people's homes via the mail and later via public radio. [1, 2, 3, 4]

• 

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  A History of Correspondence Course Programs | Resources for Independent Learning Instructors

  Jul 25, 2019 — The history of correspondence courses includes: * **1728** Caleb Phillips placed an advertisement in the *Boston Gazette* for stud...
• 

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  Historical Timeline - University of Wisconsin–Madison

  1884 – John Stearns is appointed the first full-time education faculty member. 1885 – Marching Band is founded to accompany the Un...
• 

  Division of Continuing Studies| UW-Madison

  Innovation + access: The evolution of technology in continuing ...

  Apr 7, 2025 — It started in 1885 with a modest 6-week summer language program for just 14 students. By 1892, the idea of correspondence courses,