William M. Burke

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, less formally known as The Washington Center, is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of universities in the United States and other countries. The Washington Center provides selected college students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington D.C. for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has over 50,000 alumni, many of who are in leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

The Washington Center holds leadership positions in virtually every career field, including law, education, social work, medicine, journalism, diplomacy, business and politics. Several serve on The Washington Center’s Board of Directors.

Its headquarters is located within the Sixteenth Street Historic District.

The late William M. Burke founded The Washington Center in the fall of 1975. Burke was committed to providing equal access and opportunity for all students and he believed that exchange between individuals from diverse communities is essential for personal growth and civic responsibility. He envisioned a new generation of leaders working to better communities throughout the world.

William M. Burke and Sheila Ann McRevey founded The Washington Center for Learning Alternatives. With a staff of four, it began operating out of a one-room office in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. The Washington Center recruited 51 students from 35 colleges to participate in internships during the fall of 1975.

The Exxon Education Foundation provided The Washington Center with its first major grant, enabling the organization to increase its staff to eight and move operations to DeSales Street in Northwest. RJR Nabisco funded the first Presidential Lecture Series (in what year), featuring prominent speakers from government, businesses, associations, and the media.

The first three-week academic symposium, “Politics-Domestic and International Affairs” was organized (in what year), launching The Washington Center’s academic seminars department.

New scholarship opportunities were created by organizations such as the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Minority Scholarship Fund, The MacArthur Foundation, and The National Scholarship Fund. Additionally, Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill (PPDCH) was established in (what year), providing students with the opportunity to meet and interact with members of Congress. Verizon currently funds this program.

Seminars also become a stable part of The Washington Center’s programming during this decade. A number of seminars are launched including The Women as Leaders Academic Seminar, two-week academic seminars at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and Inside Washington: Presidential Inauguration.

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