Celebrating 25 Years of Metcalf Internships

Honoring the Legacy of Harold "Jeff" Metcalf

The Jeff Metcalf Internship Program gets its name from Harold “Jeff” Metcalf, AM’53, former dean of students at the Chicago Booth School of Business from 1956-1975 and University athletic director from 1975-1981. Metcalf was a friend and mentor to students in both of these roles. He would frequently advise students on their career paths and introduce them to potential employers.

After Metcalf passed away in 1994, one of his former students Byron D. Trott (AB’81, MBA’82, University Trustee) was inspired to carry on Metcalf's legacy and establish a new internship program in his honor. Trott was one of several lead donors whose vision and investment created the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program, which continues Metcalf's efforts to help UChicago students find meaningful career experiences. The Metcalf Program has scaled up to a level where thousands of undergraduates benefit from the program each year thanks to the generations of UChicago alumni, parents, and friends who have hired students, shared internship leads with Career Advancement, and supported the program philanthropically. 

The program's founders had the foresight to launch a University internship program at a time when internships were often considered an optional, "nice to have" experience. Today, internships are widely recognized as critical for both students and employers. Thanks to the UChicago community's early investment in the Metcalf Program, it's in a strong position to provide these win-win experiences that prepare students for their future career and help employers identify strong job candidates at a time when competition for top talent is very high. 

Metcalf Milestones

• 1997 The Metcalf Program launches. Inaugural Metcalf employers included the Joffrey Ballet, Goldman Sachs, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
• 1999 The first international Metcalf internship takes place in Singapore.
• 2001 The program’s employer network grows to 50+ organizations.
• 2004 The Metcalf Program places 100+ interns.
• 2007 The program celebrates its 10th anniversary.
• 2008 Students receive 200+ Metcalf internships.
• 2012 The Metcalf Program marks 15 years and grows to 500+ internships with 300+ employers in 10+ countries.
• 2013 More than 50% of summer Metcalfs are outside of the Chicagoland area.
• 2014 The program grows to 1,000+ Metcalf internships.
• 2016 UChicago pilots the first summer of the Odyssey Metcalf Internship Program, which provides a guaranteed summer internship to all first-year Odyssey Scholars under the University’s No Barriers policy. 
• 2017 The Metcalf Program grows to 2,000+ internships in its 20th year, doubling the number of internships within just three years.
• 2018 The University launches the Micro-Metcalf Program, a sister program that provides students with short-term, paid projects. The traditional Metcalf Program expands to 250+ cities across 50+ countries.
• 2020 Students receive 3,000+ Metcalf internships with 1,000+ employers.
• 2021 The Metcalf Program provides 4,000+ internships and micro-internships.
• 2022 The program commemorates 25 years of preparing students for successful careers.