Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

May, 1 946 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE 39 Facts You Should Know About Teaching Film Custodians, Inc. From Eric Johnston^s First Annual Report Corporate Facts: Organized December 1, 1938 under the laws of New York to advance and promote the distribution and use of motion pictures for educational purposes in schools. President and Chairman of THE Board: Dr. Mark A. May, Director, Institute of Human Relations, Yale University. Directors: James R. Angell, President Emeritus, Yale University ; Frederick H. Bair, Superintendent, Bronxville (N. Y.) Schools; Isaiah Bowman, President, Johns Hopkins University ; Karl T. Compton, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Edmund E. Day, President, Cornell University; Royal B. Farnum, Executive Vice-President, Rhode Island School of Design; Willard E. Givens, Executive Secretary, National Education Association; Jay B. Nash, Professor of Education, New York University, and Francis T. Spaulding, Dean, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University. Trustees: James R. Angell, Williard E. Givens and Carl E. Milliken. Teaching Film Custodians, Inc., the second largest national distributor of instructional films, has in its catalog 639 titles for classroom use which are proving increasingly popular and effective as visual aids in courses of history, geography, literature and biography, biol From Eric Johnston's first annual report as president of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. ogy and nature study, chemistry, physics and astronomy, geology, general science, art and music, sociology and religion, health, physical education and recreation, agriculture, home economics, industrial arts and various vocations. Sixteen mm. prints of selected subjects are licensed on a three-year non-profit basis. By December 31, 1945 there were 10,332 reels of 16mm film in active use through 423 film libraries across the nation, serving thousands of schools located in every state. For example, one film library operated by the Los Angeles Public School System supplies 464 schools ; another in Ohio services 1,500 schools; numerous state university libraries supply schools throughout their respective states. Use of all films is restricted by license to the instructional programs of the institutions exhibiting them. These classroom films may be shown only in school buildings during school hours. Illustrative films, widely used in schools, include : American History: Servant of the People (story of the Constitution) ; The Perfect Tribute (Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address) ; Story That Couldn't Be Printed (Freedom of the press) ; Give Me Liberty (Patrick Henry) ; Monroe Doctrine. Biography : The Story of Dr. Jenner (Smallpox control) ; The Story of Dr. Carver; Romance of Radium (The Curies) ; The Story of Charles Goodyear (Vulcanizing rubber) ; They Live Again (Dr. Banting and insulin). Literature: A Tale of Two Cities; Romeo and Juliet; David Copper field; Master Will Shakespeare; Treasure Island. Science: New Roadways to Science; Willie and the Mouse; Beneath Our Feet (Microscopic study of insects) ; Song Birds of the North Woods. Politics and Government: Inside the Capitol; Inside the White House; U. S. Treasury; The Mint; Inside the F.B.I. At the present time administrators of informal programs of adult education in factories, schools, churches, labor unions, health associations, and community forums, are seeking to use these visual aids. Directors of Teaching Film Custodians are negotiating with various copyright owners for liberalization of contracts to permit extension of the social contribution of these motion pictures into these wider areas under controls adequately protecting commercial theatres. Funds above expenses of operation have been appropriated to such projects as (1) a study by the American Council on Education for curriculum areas in which visual aids are most needed; (2) a study by Harvard Graduate School of Education of existing film materials and motion picture needs in the field of American history, and (3) experiments in utilization of classrooms films by the Institute of Human Relations at Yale University.