Very early in U.S. history, it became obvious that if the "experiment with democracy" was to succeed, there was need for an informed and educated citizenry. By the mid-1800s, a movement was well underway to create colleges for the education of the "sons and daughters of the working classes". This movement resulted in the 1862 Morrill Act creating the land grant college system. Iowa was the first state to accept the provisions of the law for its frontier college in Ames, Iowa. Iowa also provided leadership to the extension movement. About as early as students started attending classes at the frontier campus in Ames, informal educational activities were taken off campus. In 1869, a farmers' short course was conducted in Black Hawk County. In 1903, the first county-wide farm demonstration was established at the request of local farmers in Sioux County. The 1914 Smith-Lever Act created the federal extension system. In 1915, the Seed Corn Gospel Trains crossed Iowa. They transported new seed corn technology to farmers.

An office of continuing education
The Scheman Continuing Education Building opened in September 1975. It was the fourth and final building in the Iowa State Center complex. It was built to serve the University's educational programs of short courses and conferences. The Office of Extension Courses and Conferences was an original tenant.

Distance learning began in 1969
Iowa State University has offered college credit courses via distance learning (where the course is delivered via audio, video, or computer technologies to an off-campus location) since 1969.

The College of Engineering sent reel-to-reel tapes to industry sites in 1969. Edwin Jones, professor emeritus of electrical engineering, remembers "The tapes were black and white. The cameras were huge--it took two men and a boy to carry them. They sat on tripods in the back of room 102 Coover Hall. Industry sites (Collins, now Rockwell) had players for the tapes. We worked with them to be sure the equipment was compatible."

In fall 1993, the first courses were offered over Iowa's fiber optics system, the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). The first courses offered online were Genetics 308/508 and Microbiology 302 in fall 1996.

Organizational changes
Continuing Education and Communication Services was created in October 2000 by the merger of Extended and Continuing Education with Extension Communication Systems.

In July 2001, University Conference Services, under the ISU vice-president for external affairs, merged with Continuing Education and Communication Services.

On April 1, 2006 the communications, instructional technology, and distribution units were split off from CECS. The CECS name evolved to Continuing Education and Conference Services.