In 1969 AFL–CIO President George Meany founded a labor studies center under the direction of Fred K. Hoehler Jr. to promote education and training opportunities for union leadership and rank-and-file members.

The Executive Council of the AFL–CIO determined an educational and training center held an important role in the organization's effort to further develop trade unionism, and decided to locate a permanent campus for the pursuit of labor studies.

[10] The losses from the joint program were in part responsible for the 2012 decision to close the college's campus and function in online education only.

[11] With a 47-acre (190,000 m2) campus located in Silver Spring, Maryland, a 72,000-square-foot (6,700 m2) academic and conference center, and hotel quality residence halls, the college provided classroom, meeting spaces and dining services.

[12] In 2012, the college announced its intention to sell the campus and relocate to offices in the Washington, DC area and have an online presence only.

Plagued by roughly $30 million in debt—primarily from building the conference center—the college depended heavily on the sale of the campus to remain open.

The archives contain extensive correspondence relating to past AFL–CIO international activities during the Cold War which remain classified by most national governments.

[19] The final NLC commencement, for those enrolled in the 'teach-out', occurred on Saturday, January 30, 2016, at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute (formerly known as MITAGS).