The paper begins by discussing the study of architecture in North America prior to any formal education. Followed by describing the course work and exercises a student of architecture took in their first year of design. Beginning with the creation of formal North American architectural schools in 1865. The paper investigates some of the people that created the early programs, the outside influences, and various writings. The paper will also look at the overall impact these exercises have had on architectural education, and explain the exercise process and examples produced. The article culminates with programs in architectural education that existed prior to the seminal change that occurred with the introduction of the ‘Texas Rangers’ at University of Texas School of Architecture in Austin, Texas, which ran from 1951 to 1958.