A Conversation with Dwight Waldo: An Agenda for Future Reflections

Abstract

Regrettably few good biographies or autobiographies of public administrators exist. Louis Brownlow's A Passion for Anonymity, Barry Karl's Executive Reorganization in the New Deal, and Robert Caro's The Power Broker are rare and notable exceptions. Why the dearth of such books persists is not clear, for the study of our greats can yield important insights about our professional past, as well as the present and future (as anyone who has read Brownlow, Karl, or Caro can attest). Many take pleasure in reading a well-written account of an important historical figure, especially when it also provides a context for the rich tapestry of events which have shaped perceptions of our field. For these and other reasons-intellectual understanding, professional development, and sheer pleasurefour years ago we embarked upon preparation of a book-length examination* of one of the most important intellectual figures in mid-century public administration, Dwight Waldo. Partly biography, partly intellectual and institutional history, the study traces Waldo's life and career with four purposes in mind: first, to pay tribute to Waldo's scholarly contributions and distinguished career in our field; second, to examine how Waldo's ideas developed, evolved, and subsequently influenced public administration; third, to probe further into events and processes that contributed to the development of mid-century public administration; and finally, to experiment with this under-utilized methodology as a means for understanding present and future directions. One may reasonably ask why we selected Dwight Waldo for this extensive biographical treatment. Our reason is that Waldo for more than 40 years has been (and remains) one of the foremost interpreters of the field, both as a focus of intellectual inquiry and as a vital component of governmental activity. Through his more than 50 articles and books, from The Administrative State (1948) to his recent, The Enterprise of Public Administration (1980), Waldo wrestled with central and enduring questions. His insights, ideas, concepts, and questions have been reference points for countless professionals involved with framing the intellectual and professional agenda of postwar public administration. Further, as a teacher, administrator, consultant, editorin-chief of PAR, and leader of several professional

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