The U.S. Army Engineer Institute for Water Resources has a diverse and eventful history. Proponents in the Office of the Chief of Engineers believed the Corps needed a long-range planning organization to assist in improving the civil works planning process. They believed that the small group of economists, engineers, and planners should conduct their work in a place removed from headquarters. In April 1969, they prevailed in establishing the Institute. Twenty-five years later, the Institute for Water Resources continues to provide the civil works program with a variety of products to enhance the Corps of Engineers water resources development planning. This report chronicles the evolution of the Institute in the broader context of the history of federal water resource development.