Which university hosted the 1939 conference that set early North American school bus standards?

Columbia University hosted the 1939 conference that set early North American school bus standards.

Rural-education specialist Frank W. Cyr organized the week-long meeting at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. Transportation officials from the then-48 states met with school-bus manufacturers, chassis companies, and paint specialists because buses varied widely in construction, dimensions, seating, and color.

The participants agreed on 44 standards covering features such as body dimensions, interior layout, and forward-facing seats. Standardization made it easier for manufacturers to produce buses at scale and gave school districts more consistent safety and operating expectations.

The conference is especially remembered for selecting the distinctive yellow-orange color now associated with school buses. Black lettering was considered highly visible in the dim light of early morning and late afternoon. The color was originally called National School Bus Chrome and is now known as National School Bus Glossy Yellow. Stanford, Purdue, and Harvard were not the host institutions.