"Perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of the Vietnam War era was the military draft. This government sanctioned conscription of young men in what became an unpopular military campaign in the Far East eventually manifested in widespread protest, violence, and flight to foreign countries. As a response to such social divisions, numerous groups sought to establish information centers that informed and educated possible candidates for the draft of their rights and possible exemptions. At the University of Iowa, one such group arose to fill that void.

On December 1, 1970, five University of Iowa students (Linda Brown, Don Conroy, Barry Lyerly, Ann Matthews, and Emil Rinderspacher) opened an information and counseling center on the ground floor of the Iowa Memorial Union. During the spring of 1971, the group was re-located to the first floor of the Union and was also incorporated into the Volunteer Service Bureau. From March 4 to May 27, 1971, the center provided direct, face-to-face interaction with 286 men, not including numerous phone calls and letter correspondence. The mission of the group was to provide information to possible draft candidates of their options and enable them to make an informed decision about their future.

In May 1971, the center assumed the official title of the University of Iowa Center for Draft Information and Counseling, or UI CDIC. The Center's operations ended when the U.S. Department of Defense officially terminated the draft in 1973.