International Correspondence Schools

International Correspondence Schools was not a single writer but a long-running educational institution based in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It grew out of efforts by publisher Thomas J. Foster to improve safety and technical knowledge for miners, then expanded into a huge correspondence-learning business that produced textbooks, reference works, and vocational manuals for readers studying at home.

Over time, the name became closely associated with practical self-improvement: engineering, trades, business skills, and other career-focused subjects written for independent learners. Because its publications were created institutionally rather than by one personal author, books credited to International Correspondence Schools usually reflect the voice of a large teaching organization rather than an individual.

The school’s legacy is especially important in the history of distance education. Long before online learning, its courses showed how instruction could reach students wherever they lived, making technical and professional training more accessible to people balancing work, family, and study.