A review of the history of associate degree nursing (ADN) education is presented, along with a discussion of contemporary problems faced by ADN educators. The paper first notes the practical, hospital-based nature of early nursing education programs; reviews early studies calling for school-based programs to prepare nurses for different levels of practice; examines the beginnings of ADN education as the first planned experiment in nursing education; and traces the impact of community colleges on ADN programs and on nursing education in general. Next, the paper discusses challenges facing today's ADN programs: (1) the recommendation of the American Nurses Association that two practitioner categories, technical and professional, be identified and titled by 1980; (2) the lack of consensus concerning the appropriate scope of practice and the requisite competencies of ADN graduates; (3) the ANA recommendation that state licensing for practice be limited to those holding the bachelor's degree; (4) economic constraints on ADN programs; (5) the need for staff development in ADN programs; (6) the increased difficulty involved in securing clinical experience for students at area hospitals; and (7) the need for articulation with baccalaureate programs. After noting the licensing and vocational success of ADN graduates, the paper concludes with the assumption that ADN programs will continue to exist in the face of contemporary challenges. (HB/JP)