This first volume of a six-volume study details the historical context of a particular school district (code-named "Milford") in order to examine the genesis and evolution of American education. The study's key research documents were the district school board's official minutes; additional modes of inquiry included participant observation, interviews, newsletters, and newspaper accounts. Following a brief historical overview in chapter 1, chapter 2 traces the district's origins through the tenures of its first two superintendents. Chapter 3, "The Genesis and Evolution of a School District: Preliminary Generalization," gives attention to such community items as county and state government agencies, elections, and population growth. The chapter also covers organizational structures and process, including sections on the school board, finances, and the role of the superintendent; and classrooms, curriculum, and teaching. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 cover, respectively, "The Early McBride Era" (1935-49), "The Modernization of Milford, 1949-52," and "The Decade of Rapid Growth and Expansion: 1952-61." Following chapter 7 entitled "The Tangle of Administrative Succession" and other issues from the years 1961-62, chapter 8 offers a summary, conclusions, and implications in the following areas: democracy in educational schooling, policy-making and administration, and longitudinal systems for examining innovation and change. In order to protect the anonymity of the school district studied in such detail, pseudonyms have been used for all place names (school, school district, city, county, state) and personal names (school superintendents, school board members, teachers, students) appearing in the various volumes of this set. (JBM)