The historical roots of developmental education are traced in a three-part article extending across three serial issues. "Educating All the Nation's People," by Hunter R. Boylan and William G. White, Jr., reviews the historical antecedents of developmental education, focusing on efforts in the 17th century to prepare English-speaking American students for college-level instruction in Latin, the expansion of opportunities for higher education in the 18th century and the concomitant growth of college preparatory programs, and the founding of colleges for women and blacks. "Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A Force in Developmental Education," by Helen Jones and Helen Richards-Smith, traces the rise of black colleges, the pioneering efforts of these colleges in academic skills development, instructional philosophy and techniques used in black colleges, and the important contributions still being made by historically black institutions. "The Historical Roots of Developmental Education," by Boylan, focuses on college preparatory programs of the 19th and 20th centuries, attempts to standardize college admission, the decline of college preparatory programs with the advent of junior colleges and selective admissions, and the resurgence of developmental education in recent years. (JMC)