HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENTAL STUDIES
IGS DIRECTORS
- Samuel C. May (1921-1955)
- Milton Chernin (Acting Director, 1955-1958)
- Dwight Waldo (1958-1967)
- Eugene C. Lee (1967-1988)
- Nelson W. Polsby (1988-1999)
- Bruce E. Cain (1999-2007)
- Jack Citrin (2007-present)
REFLECTIONS ON IGS HISTORY
In honor of the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Governmental Studies in 1995, a series of articles on the history of the Institute were published. See the foot of the page for further history of the Institute through 1999.
A Timeline of IGS History, 1920-1995
IGS history presented on a year-by-year basis, including the names and tenures of directors, associate directors, and head librarians, as well as major IGS events.
At Age 75, Sam May's Magnificent Facility Continues to Serve California and the Nation
IGS was originally founded as the Bureau of Public Administration, by Samuel May, in 1920. Gerald Lubenow's article relates the tale of the founding of that Bureau and its first decade.
Herbert Simon Recalls UC Berkeley and the Birth of Administrative Behavior
The noted political scientist Herbert Simon recalls his time at the Bureau of Public Administration in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during which he worked on his classic Administrative Behavior.
IGS's Early Work Helped Shape Bay Area Institutions
Stanley Scott, the associate director from 1958 to 1988, analyzes the relationship between the Institute and governments and policy throughout the Bay Area and California.
Waldo Guided IGS in Its Transition From Bureau to Institute
Dwight Waldo, director from 1958 to 1967, gives the history of the transition from the Bureau of Public Administration to the more broadly based Institute of Governmental Studies, as well as his involvement with that change.
Sam May's Advice Led Lee to Political Science and IGS Directorship
Eugene Lee, Director of the Institute from 1967 to 1988, relates the story of his involvement with the Bureau of Public Administration, then the Institute of Governmental Studies, from his days as a young graduate student through his directorship to professor emeritus of political science.
From Ephemera to Ethernet: The IGS Library at 75
The IGS Library has been an important part of both the Bureau of Public Administration and its successor, the Institute of Governmental Studies, since its founding. Ronald Heckart, former head librarian, describes that close relationship from its beginnings.
Joe Harris's Electoral Tinkering Funds IGS Research
Joe Harris, a UC Berkeley political scientist, played a large part in the history of the Institute, and his invention of a voting machine enabled him to fund a large part of the Institute's ongoing research.
California Policy Seminar Has Roots in IGS, Branches Throughout the State
One of the research programs established by IGS that has gone on to a separate and successful life of its own, the history of the California Policy Seminar is given by its associate director in 1995, Holly Brown-Williams.
This article by Bruce Cain from The Forum takes the history of the Institute through the tenure of its late director, Nelson Polsby, who stepped down in 1999.
