WMU interns strike gold at Michigan Capitol and beyond

Dr. David Houghton, a longtime political science faculty member at Western Michigan University, has a list he's been keeping for four decades. It's filled with nearly 1,000 names—many of them belonging to prominent figures in government, law and business. Though they specialize in diverse areas, these individuals have at least one thing in common: They are all WMU alumni or current students, who have participated in the Department of Political Science's renowned Capitol Intern Program.

"I've got 988 names," says Houghton, who implemented the program and has served as its sole director. "I never would have dreamed these numbers would reach that high. We started in 1978 with just a couple of interns in Kalamazoo township."

Learn more about the Capitol Intern program in the fall 2017 issue of the College of Arts and Sciences magazine or on the Political Science website.

Help make new opportunities available for future students to experience the legislative process by donating to the David G. Houghton Internship Endowment.