The WELDON COOPER CENTER for PUBLIC SERVICE traces its roots to July 1, 1931, when the University of Virginia, in an effort to help the state's cities and towns deal with the effects of the Great Depression, joined with the Virginia League of Municipalities to create the Bureau of Public Administration.

In its first years, the Bureau of Public Administration focused its attention on providing services-consulting and technical advice-to local governments, helping public officials apply an analytical approach to public policy decision-making. The BPA soon enlarged that role significantly, emphasizing research that would be beneficial to a broad cross-section of localities as well as state government.

In 1964, its name was changed to the Institute of Government, to better reflect the scope of its activities, and in 1969 the Institute was reorganized into three formal divisions:

• urban research
• governmental and administrative research
• training

In 1987, the Institute of Government merged with the economics and demographics studies centers of the Tayloe Murphy Institute, also located at the University of Virginia, to form the Center for Public Service. Under the leadership of Carl Stenberg, the Center for Public began to expand services and programs to meet the need of state and local government officials and the citizens of the Commonwealth.

In 1988, the Center took its first step to expanded its leadership development capacity and  linked more closely to the University's undergraduate population by providing an administrative and operational home for the University Internship Program. 

The Center for Survey Research, (date)

The Sorenson institute for Political Leadership (date)

Institute of Government  1991

In 1994, the University named the Center in honor of Weldon Cooper (1906-1996), in recognition of his service to the Commonwealth. Mr. Cooper joined the University of Virginia's faculty in 1947, where he served first as the associate director (1947-1956) and then director of the Bureau of Public Administration. Active in Virginia affairs, he helped guide numerous state commissions, including the Governor's Commission on Legislative Redistricting in 1961 and the Virginia Metropolitan Areas Study Commission in 1966. Naming the Center for Public Service in his honor served to recognize his important work.

2006 Academy for Civic Renewal