▁at ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁students ▁in ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁schools . ▁The ▁programs ▁origin ated ▁at ▁W ABC ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁Fac ulty ▁included ▁" 1 6 ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁greatest ▁educ ators ", ▁with ▁Columbia ▁University ▁Professor ▁of ▁Education ▁William ▁C . ▁Bag ley ▁heading ▁the ▁group . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁program ' s ▁target ▁group ▁was ▁school ▁students , ▁its ▁audience ▁reached ▁beyond ▁them . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 1 - 1 9 3 2 ▁season , ▁more ▁than ▁one - third ▁of ▁the ▁program ' s ▁fan ▁mail ▁came ▁from ▁adult s ▁who ▁were ▁not ▁directly ▁involved ▁with ▁formal ▁education , ▁including ▁house w ives , ▁business ▁execut ives , ▁" old ▁people ", ▁shut - ins , ▁and ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁it ▁a ired ▁at ▁ 9 : 1 5 ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁and ▁was ▁heard ▁nation wide ▁in ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁class rooms ▁by ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁children ▁every ▁day . ▁Its ▁success ▁prompt ed ▁N BC ▁to ▁launch ▁Its ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁its ▁programming ▁changed ▁marked ly . ▁Ret itled ▁The ▁American ▁School ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁it ▁now ▁took ▁on ▁a