RF Annual Report - 1935 - The Rockefeller Foundation

THE SOCIAL SCIENCES 24!
son agency between Washington governmental
groups and American universities and to direct
the programs of graduate students attached to
the Federal services for practical fieldexperience.
The Foundation's program in public administration
has given serious consideration to the
expedient of providing internship opportunities
as an integral part of graduate training. Few
problems are presented when arrangements for
such opportunities are sought from state or local
governmental agencies, since there is not likely
to be much overlapping of demands within a
single jurisdiction.In Washington, however, the
rapid growth of interest in this form of student
activity presents serious problems. There was
agreement among Federal civil service and personnel
officers that a liaison a,gency was needed
to clear applications, to arrange opportunities,
and to exercise some supervision and guidance
over interns, in order that the hospitality of
government departments and officials might not
be worn threadbare within a short period.
had
The National Institute of Public Affairs, which
' *
established itself in Washington under a
directorate that assured its political non-partisanship,
seemed well equipped for this liaison
task, and the Foundation's grant permitted a
systematic organization of the work.
© 2003 The Rockefeller Foundation