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History of the International Graduate University

As one of the many United States Presidents concerned about higher education, President Harry S. Truman took action by creating The President's Commission on Higher Education that reported their recommendations in the 1947 publication, "Higher Education for American Democracy". Soon afterward, the conclusion of the Carnegie Foundation's extensive study echoed the wish of George Washington that a national university be established at our Capitol to improve higher education here and abroad, uninhibited by traditional education processes and limited objectives. In reality, it would be a new institution to provide exemplary educational programs as a model for others to emulate.

As President Truman’s official link to the Commission, his special Assistant, Dr. John R. Steelman, was praised for his deep involvement and personal interest in their efforts. In 1967, Dr. Steelman, then a business leader in Maryland, decided to organize the recommended university with a group of scientists, scholars and professors similarly dedicated to achieving genuine and useful education. Among those they approached to administer this was Dr. Walter E. Boek, whose research and many publications had already demonstrated his interdisciplinary interests and achievements in breaking new ground in the fields of health and medicine, management and government affairs. In his years in New York State, he was appointed to various government positions by three governors and had completed nearly a hundred basic research programs, including two for the Canadian government in the West Arctic and in Manitoba, while providing direct advisory assistance to the governors.

A Board of Governors and a Board of Advisors for this new University was formed to control and guide its planning and operations. Its members included Dr. Melville Grosvenor, President, National Geographic Society, Mr. Frederick Krug, President of Canadian Power and Light, Dr. Steelman, Dr. Chauncey Leake, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which had awarded Dr. Boek distinguished scientist status, and other leaders. These Boards have included five statesmen who were Presidential candidates, many former Senators, House of Representatives, Ambassadors, highly honored military leaders, such as General Donald Dawson, General Benjamin Davis, Commander Everett Alvarez, and Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. It also included many outstanding governmental leaders including the Honorables Arthur Burns, James Roosevelt and Elmer Staats. It was they who helped guide the educational programs of this University, including establishment of its College of Management, College of Human Service and, first in the world, College of Democracy and Democracy Hall of Fame International. After its establishment, President Truman wrote a letter of support to Dr. Boek and soon afterward, the Director of Carnegie Foundation study met with Dr. Boek and discussed the study’s recommendations with him.

As information and knowledge of the concept of a national and international university spread, distinguished legislators, business leaders and others became involved and provided administrative and financial support. In response to the needs expressed by the United States Senators and Representatives regarding the troubled government contract and grants processes, the University designed a special training on “Critical Issues in Procurement” and provided 694 courses in 22 locations, plus 50 institutes on federal programs reaching more than 25,000 officials, university administrators, business specialists, professionals and others from every state and territory.

The University also established its Executive Management Services Institute that helped upgrade management in numerous government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, National Science Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Defense and the Agency for International Development, as well as many cities around the country such as Fairfax, Virginia, St. Louis, Missouri, Orlando, Florida and Denver Colorado. Its faculty also taught nursing home administrators in university courses licensed by Virginia, DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. To meet the critical need for English language training, it designed a model “English as a Second Language” program (ESL) to which about 15,000 students from 116 nations came to study.

The University continued to attract attention of numerous leaders concerned about higher education, including dozens of legislators who praised its existence and programs. Among these were Senator John Warner and Congressman Frank Wolf and Tom Davis who requested that it be congressionally chartered. Senator Terry Sanford, former President of Duke University, considered it so important that he gave a dinner speech on the critical need for its College of Democracy. Senator Elizabeth Dole stated that the College of Democracy was a superb concept and Dr. Margaret Mead publicly spoke about the University and labeled it “The University of the Future”. Catholic University’s School of Architecture regarded it as so important that their entire summer educational program consisted of their students designing buildings for such as university and building models of them, which at the end of the summer were exhibited during a conference on their work.

When the University moved to DC into rented offices, it was awarded a license by the Director of the Licensing Commission.