In the summer of 1952, Lamar Dodd, dean at the University of Georgia, invited George Nelson to Athens to advise the instructors at the Faculty of Art on curriculum reform. Nelson regarded the art instruction practiced there with skepticism, as, according to him, it only produced laymen with an interest in art and not professional artists. After several meetings and consultations with representatives of the faculty, Nelson suggested organizing a sample lecture to demonstrate how one could convey ideas about art using modern methods and new media. He invited Charles Eames and Alexander Girard as fellow campaigners.