A History of Wilder Research, 1917-2022

This report documents the history of Wilder Research from its inception in 1917 to 2022. It is written by Paul Mattessich who served as executive director of Wilder Research for 40 years. It traces the development of research focal points and topic areas centered around two primary paths: research to improve the effectiveness of human service programs and policies and research to portray communities’ quality of life. It highlights specific research initiatives and accomplishments, and examines factors that contributed to success.