DeVry pays tribute to its role in distance learning

NAPERVILLE - DeVry University is celebrating its 90th year as a pacesetter in online learning, as it continues its mission of providing students with educational pathways to help prepare them for careers in today's rapidly transforming economy.

"As we review our long history of serving students and evolving both what we teach and how we teach, we take pride in the north star that has guided us since 1931 - to help students better their lives through an education that prepares them to thrive in workplaces shaped by continuous technological change," said Tom Monahan, president and CEO of DeVry University.

Distance learning has come a long way since 1912 when Dr. Herman DeVry invented the "Theater in a Suitcase," a Model E portable projector that shifted the education technology paradigm. By 1913, these projectors became standard technology in U.S. schools nationwide. Almost 20 years later, in 1931, DeVry and Dr. Lee DeForest founded DeForest Training School, now DeVry University, in Chicago to prepare students for technical careers of that time.

DeVry's 90-year history is steeped in technology and innovation, and through the years, shows how it has been an innovator in multidisciplinary programming and distance learning, the university said.