In 1948, a group of Racine educators and other interested persons agreed that it would be good to have an organization that would provide for adult education in areas other than that offered by vocational and formal university training. The group, however, lacked funds to activate such a program. Then, in 1951, the Fund for Adult Education, an independent organization created by the Ford foundation, offered this group - the Racine Adult Education Council - the opportunity to put its ideas into action. If the Council would agree to become one of the members of the Fund's “Test Cities Project,” the Fund would provide the following assistance: $12,000 for 1952, $8,000 for 1953, and $4,000 for 1954, with the balance of the budget for 1953 and 1954 to be raised locally. It was then expected that the program would be fully community supported by 1955. The organization had as its purpose: (1) to help use more effectively the community's resources in discovering and meeting the community's needs in adult education; (2) to help coordinate adult education activities then being conducted; (3) to stimulate new adult education activities, experiment with new forms, and try new methods for the education of adults; and (4) to emphasize studies in the fields of world affairs, economic affairs, and the humanities.
In November 1951, the Council agreed to become one of the Test Cities. During the following months, the Council was reorganized, and on March 31, 1952, a constitution was adopted defining the objectives and mechanics of the Council. The Council was incorporated May 25, 1954.
The program had a very slow start and in 1953 the Fund found it necessary to increase its financial support in order to keep the project going. In April 1955, the Council voted to discontinue the project because it was unable to secure financial support from the community. On July 15, the Test Cities Project in Racine ceased and the office equipment was turned over to the University of Wisconsin Extension Center in Racine and the balance of the financial assistance given by the Fund was returned to that organization.
