1950s
Institute faculty provide staff and research support for a number of study commissions at the request of the North Carolina General Assembly in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The studies examine North Carolina courts, roads, property taxes, state government, local government, and the North Carolina constitution and make recommendations for administrative improvements.

In the early 1950s, at the request of the State Treasurer, faculty member Donald Hayman makes a study of the financial soundness of all retirement systems in the state and the feasibility of bringing state and local employees under Social Security. Today’s retirement arrangements for state and local governments develop largely from the information provided by Hayman’s study.

The Basic Public Personnel Law course is inaugurated in the late 1950s and continues to be offered annually.

1950
In order to attract and retain promising employees and trained professionals to public service, the Institute undertakes a study of minimum qualifications and compensation of municipal law enforcement officers and a study of the salaries of county employees. Donald Hayman produces the first in a continuing series of studies of salaries of county officials, published in electronic format today as County Salaries.

Under the leadership of faculty member Clifford Pace, the Institute organizes and conducts formal training schools for game and fish protectors in collaboration with the Wildlife Resources Commission in March 1950.

Created by the 1949 General Assembly, the Institute provides staff and research services, directed by Alex McMahon, for the State-Municipal Road Commission. A new state-city relationship in financing streets comes from this commission. It is the source of the “Powell Bill” which passes the North Carolina General Assembly in 1951, making available more money for streets in North Carolina cities and towns.

1951
Two hundred officers of the State’s prison system attend the first Prison Officers’ School at the Institute in October 1951. The four five-day schools are conducted by the Institute at the request of the State Prison Department.

1951
An Institute of Government guidebook, The Assessment of Real Property for Taxation in North Carolina, by Henry W. Lewis, has been translated into Japanese and is being used as the basis of property tax assessment in Osaka, Japan.

1952
The Local Finance Bulletin and the Property Tax Bulletin are launched in 1952 and continue to be published 54 years later. The Local Finance Bulletin discusses topics of interest to North Carolina finance officers, and summarizes legislative actions and analyzes recent court cases. The Property Tax Bulletin discusses current topics of interest to North Carolina tax officials, summarizes legislative actions, and analyzes court cases.

The Institute inaugurates a large-scale training program for planning and zoning officials in December 1952, with the publication of two guidebooks and the convening of the first of a series of local schools for planning and zoning officials. The guidebooks are Zoning in North Carolina and A Guidebook for City Planning Boards, by Philip P. Green, Jr.

The First Trustee-Librarian Institute is held in March 1952. The program is sponsored by the Institute at the request of the North Carolina Library Association and the North Carolina Library Commission.

1953
The 1953 General Assembly creates a commission to study the reorganization of state government. The Institute, led by Paul Johnston, provides research staff to the commission. Reports, summarized in Popular Government are issued in 1954 and 1957.

The Carolinas Chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing is organized and holds its first meeting in April 1953 in Fayetteville.

The Institute holds its first week-long training school for new county tax supervisors.

1954
The first Municipal Administration course is held, beginning in November 1954. Faculty member George Esser leads the development of the course. After Esser leaves the Institute, Jake Wicker takes over and manages the professional-level training program until his retirement in 1991. The 150-hour course is intended for city managers, department heads, and other city officials.

At the request of Governor William B. Umstead, the Institute undertakes a special study of segregation in North Carolina schools in light of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The study report appears in the September, 1954 issue of Popular Government.

1955
The Institute begins publishing biennial summaries of legislation of interest to public officials in North Carolina Legislation.

The first major revision of North Carolina public health laws is undertaken by the Institute in a joint project with the State Board of Health for presentation to the 1957 session of the General Assembly. A small portion of the project, the revision of the vital statistics laws, is completed and passes the 1955 General Assembly.

For a study of the North Carolina court system requested by Governor Hodges the Institute responds with major studies of the structure and jurisdiction of the NC courts, civil and criminal litigation, and juvenile and domestic relations courts, published as special issues of Popular Government in March, April, May, June, and November 1958.

1956
Draft proposals for revising public health laws are submitted by the State Board of Health to public health officials throughout North Carolina for study and suggestions before a final proposal is prepared.

The Institute hosts its first orientation conference for newly elected county and city governing boards. The program, now known as Essentials of Government, is held in alternate years for new city or county officials after each election.

The first Forest Fire Law Enforcement School ever conducted by the Institute is held in Chapel Hill in January 1956 for the Division of Forestry of the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development. This program follows a fire that burned over 175,000 acres in Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties the previous spring, the largest fire to date in the history of the state.

1957
An extensive bill that completely rewrites the public health laws in North Carolina is enacted by the 1957 General Assembly. Faculty member Roddey M. Ligon Jr. is actively engaged in this revision.

Another commission to study the reorganization of state government is authorized by the General Assembly. John Sanders and other Institute faculty provide staff and research services to support the commission’s work through 1961.

For a Municipal Government Study Commission, the Institute provides staff and research service support from Esser, Wicker, Green, Stipe, McMahon, and others from 1957 to 1959. A summary of the final report is published in the December 1958 issue of Popular Government.

John Sanders and others provide staff services and research for the North Carolina Constitutional Commission created in 1957 by the General Assembly. Sanders assists in drafting a complete revision of the North Carolina Constitution for approval by North Carolina voters. An outline of the report and recommendations appear in the February 1959 issue of Popular Government.

The first local government purchasing school in North Carolina is held at the Institute in February 1957. The three-day school, jointly sponsored by the Institute and the Carolinas’ Chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, is attended by seventy-five officials from cities, towns, and counties in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

The Joseph Palmer Knapp Building, financed by a generous gift from the J.P. Knapp Foundation with matching funds from the NC General Assembly, is dedicated in 1957.

1958
The first North Carolina Planning Conference is held for North Carolina planning and zoning officials.

The Institute begins publishing Public Health Bulletin, originated and edited by Roddey M. Ligon Jr. which continues today under the name Health Law Bulletin. These bulletins discuss current issues of interest to judicial officials and attorneys and provide analysis of cases and legislative updates.

1959
The Small Watershed Act of 1959 is passed. Faculty member Milton Heath works with the legislative committee in drafting the law.

Because of the extensive legislative actions taken relating to water, a new chapter on water resources is added to North Carolina Legislation, the Institute’s annual summary of laws of interest to public officials.