The school was later named in honor of retired Goldman Sachs executive and philanthropist John C. Whitehead, who served as deputy secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan from 1985–89; Whitehead also headed the United Nations Association of the United States of America and was the Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.
Andrea Bartoli, an international conflict resolution expert who has served in academic and diplomatic positions for more than two decades, joined the school as dean in July 2013.
The School offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations, as well as an Executive M.S.
Both undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. as part of the school's collaboration with the United Nations Foundation.
Other heads of state have included former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.