Government, School of
Now located in the Knapp-Sanders Building on the eastern edge of campus, the School of Government is the oldest program of its kind in the nation. It was created to train and support local officials at all levels of government in North Carolina. Since its inception it has been the destination for generations of new mayors, legislators, city managers, county attorneys, judges, budget directors, tax supervisors, planning and zoning personnel, and more. More than 12,000 public officials participate annually in a training program. The school also has a residential and online master of public administration degree program.
Law professor Albert Coates began to offer classes for elected officials who needed to learn the laws they were expected to enforce. He soon realized there was a constant flow of new officials who needed this training. In 1931, with the help of his wife, Gladys Hall Coates, he created the Institute of Government as a private enterprise. It became part of the university in 1942 and was the foundation for the School of Government, established in 2001.