The Monterey Institute was established in 1955 by Gaspard Weiss, Remsen Bird, and Dwight Morrow Jr. to teach modern languages in their cultural context. Originally known as the Monterey Institute for Foreign Studies, the school's focus was on promoting international understanding through the study of language and culture.Growing through the decades, the Institute added new programs, faculty and students, expanding its global reach and educational mission. The school moved to its current location in Monterey, California, in 1961. By the 1990s, the Monterey Institute was widely recognized as one of the most academically prestigious language and international policy studies schools in the country.