How about a NY Times article of degree mills . . . from 1972 https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/27/archives/diplomamill-rise-disturbs-educators-rise-in-number-of-diploma-mills.html
not quite as old . . . a 1988 article about "dipscam" https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1988/10/05/08410016.h08.html