This article describes one of the first developments and deployment of radio for distance learning and education in Canada, beginning in the early 1920s. Anticipating a recent initiative of public-private partnerships, the impetus, infrastructure, and initial programs were provided by a large corporation. Description of the system, its purpose, whom it served, and the problems encountered during its development are described and discussed. The reasons for the demise of this system in the 1930s and the effect of this early innovation on the further development of radio distance education in Canada are elucidated. (Contains 6 figures.)