No work in social studies has been consistently referred to over the past 75 years as much as has "The Social Studies in Secondary Education," Bulletin No. 28 (1916) of the U.S. Bureau of Education. This volume, the "Report of the Committee on Social Studies of the Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education of the National Education Association," has developed a mystique of its own and inspired tones of reverence when the work is mentioned; yet, few social studies educators have read it. The recent spate of reports on history/geography in the schools places much of the blame for the woeful status of history knowledge on the erosive effect of social studies on history over the past 75 years. The reference is to the 1916 report. The "conventional wisdom" regarding this report needs to be presented and assessed in the light of today's use of that wisdom. The 1916 commission report is presented in this paper in both educational and historic contexts. From whence did the ideas for this report emerge and why? The procedures and content of the report are then examined with particular focus on the commission members and their respective ideologies. The last section looks at the commission report today, in light of the recent rash of curriculum reports and recommendations. A 19-item bibliography is included. (JB)