The University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy record group documents the history and development of public policy studies at the University of Michigan. The records contain some information on the beginning of instruction in public administration in 1915 and the formation of the Institute of Social and Public Administration in 1936. The bulk of the material documents the administration and subsequent reorganizations of the academic unit currently known as the School of Public Policy. Records include correspondence, minutes, historical materials and topical files concerning the Institute, its Lansing Office, its programs in the Republic of China and documented the Philippine Islands, and the Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1961- 1962. the records have been received in three major accessions, 1972 (boxed 1-9), 1997 (boxes 10-14) and 2006 (boxes 15-18).
Most of the materials comprising the 1972 accession cover the period from the 1950s to the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, few documents about the establishment and development of the public policy studies curriculum between 1915 and 1945 exist. Particular strengths of the record group are the materials on the Philippine Institute of Public Administration and the Taiwan Center for Public and Business Administration Education. The German Training Program files also offer insight into international interests of the public administration faculty at the University of Michigan. The German Training Program was a program established to provide Germans with a knowledge of American political and social institutions, democratic skills, and development of individual competence in fields of knowledge such as journalism, pedagogy, and public administration. Other series in the School of Public Policy records allow for a general overview of the structure of the School of Public Policy. They also demonstrate the composition and research interests of the faculty and students in the department.
The records comprising the 1997 accession from the School of Public Policy were primarily arranged chronologically. This arrangement has been retained and the record group has been broken down into a Chronological Files series, several Topical Files series, a Sound Recordings Series, and a Photographs series. It should be noted that some of the files in the Topical Files series include documents created after the dates noted in the series heading.
The 2006 accession consisted of additional administrative files and material relating to the dedication of the Joan and Sanford Weil Hall groundbreaking and dedication.
In 1914, the Department of Political Science established a graduate program which led to a master's degree in municipal administration. Courses were taken from the curricula of various departments, schools and colleges including Economics, Landscape Design, the Law School, and the College of Engineering. By the mid-1930s, a demand had developed for individuals trained to perform various administrative functions in Michigan. In 1936, the Institute of Social and Public Administration was established as part of the graduate school at the university to address this need. A program was developed to satisfy demands for trained administrators who could work in the fields of public administration, land utilization, and social work. In 1938, the Bureau of Government, a center for research on municipal administration, became part of the University Institute of Public and Social Administration.
The Regents of the University of Michigan approved a plan for the establishment of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) on September 28, 1945. A formal announcement of the formation of the new institute was issued in March 1946. The new program had several goals. They included training students in the field of public administration as well as conducting research on matters of public interest such as taxes, employment, etc. Offering services to public officials and legislative bodies was also identified as one of the goals of the program. Finally, the program would cooperate with government offices to offer "in-service training" to advanced students, as well as to offer short courses to public employees. Instruction and research in the fields of law, engineering, public health, and economics, among others, were integrated into the program.
In 1949, the IPA participated in the first of a series of international programs about public policy and administration issues. The IPA was one of six American universities to host Germans who were instructed in American social/political institutions and democratic skills, as well as other subjects. The second international project in which the Institute of Public Administration was involved in the1950s was the establishment of the Institute of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines in 1952. The goal of this project was to train Filipinos for work in public administration and help Philippine government employees improve their effectiveness. The Institute was staffed by professors from the University of Michigan, although over time they were replaced by instructors from the Philippine University. During the 1960s, the Institute worked on another international project entitled the Taiwan Center for Public and Business Administration. The Taiwan Center was a joint effort by the government of the Republic of China, the University of Michigan, and the Agency for International Aid. The Center offered an undergraduate degree in public and business administration, as well as an in-service training program. In addition to the in-service and undergraduate degree programs, the Taiwan Center also developed the Chinese Journal of Administration, held seminars for Taiwan's government officials, and sent faculty from Taiwan to the United States for advanced training.
In 1968, the Institute of Public Policy Studies (IPPS) was formed. The new program synthesized the offerings of the Institute of Public Administration with courses in economic analysis, quantitative methods, and other subjects. It was one of the first graduate programs in public policy in the United States. The program at the University of Michigan was modeled on an interdisciplinary approach to public policy issues that used the techniques and tools of the social sciences to address social problems. Links with the schools of Law, Business, Natural Resources, and Public Health allowed the program to expand the areas of expertise that were offered. The mission of IPPS was to research public policy issues and train students for careers in public services. It also recognized the absence of a program in which public officials could enhance and renew their skills. A series of policy seminars for public officials was established to address this need. Over the time of its existence, IPPS also played a leading role in the development of an international curriculum in public policy studies.
In 1995, IPPS was established as an independent school within the University of Michigan and was subsequently designated as the School of Public Policy.
In 1999, the School of Public Policy was re-named the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in honor of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford, who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935. Since 2001, the school has offered joint doctoral programs with the departments of economics, political science, and sociology. The school began construction of a new home, Joan and Sanford Weil Hall, in the fall of 2004 and dedicated the building in the fall of 2006.
Directors of the Institute of Public Policy Studies
| Date |
Event |
| 1950-1960 | John W. Lederle |
| 1960-1967 | Ferrel Heady |
| 1968-1973 | John Patrick Crecine |
| 1973-1974 | Thomas J. Anton (Acting Director) |
| 1974-1979 | Jack L. Walker |
| 1979-1983 | Edward M. Gramlich |
| 1983-1987 | Paul N. Courant |
| 1987-1989 | Edie N. Goldenberg |
| 1989-1990 | Paul N. Courant |
| 1991-1995 | Edward M. Gramlich |
Deans of the School of Public Policy
| Date |
Event |
| 1995-1997 | Edward M. Gramlich |
| 1997-1999 | John Chamberlain (Interim) |
| 1999- | Rebecca M. Blank |
Deans of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
| Date |
Event |
| 1999- 2007 | Rebecca M. Blank |
| 2007-2017 | Susan M. Collins |
| 2017- | Michael S. Barr |
