Biography

Since the late 1800's the UI has hosted students from other countries and has also arranged opportunities for its resident students to study abroad. In 1908, the UI chapter of the Cosmopolitan Club was founded to promote greater understanding among different cultures. It was one of five such clubs on U.S. campuses, operating until the 1940's.   The post-World War II enrollment boom brought with it an influx of international students. In response, the University appointed an adviser for foreign students in the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) in 1948. In 1952, the University established the International Center to meet the needs of its foreign students. By 1956, the Center moved to 219 N. Clinton St., the former home of Benjamin and Bertha Shambaugh, longtime associates of the University. (In 2002, Shambaugh House, as it was known, was moved to the corner of Clinton and Fairchild streets, becoming the home of the International Writing Program. The house move was prompted by construction of the new Belin-Blank Honors Center nearby.)   Continued growth in international student enrollment led to the establishment in 1971 of the Office of International Education and Services (OIES), which also managed study abroad-related services. Additionally, the Center for International and Comparative Studies (CICS), founded in 1981 as a faculty committee, was established to coordinate and support interdisciplinary education related to foreign studies, becoming one of nine national resource centers funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education in 1985.   In 1997, the OIES was reorganized as International Programs, an entity combining the services of OIES, CICS, and other programs. From its inception in 1971 until 2007, International Programs was located in the former Law Commons, west of the Iowa River. It moved to the University Capitol Centre, in the Old Capitol Town Center near the Pentacrest, in 2007.

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