The Charles P. Wolff Memorial Internship Program at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs is made possible by the Charles P. Wolff Memorial Endowment Fund. Sheryl Pitts Wolff established this Fund out of love for and in memory of her first husband, Charles P. Wolff, whose commitment to public service and public policy was evident throughout his life.

Charles "Chas" Wolff received a Bachelor's Degree in 1970 from the College of Applied Life Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1973 he joined the Chicago staff of Senator Adlai Stevenson and served as an assistant to the senator for six years. During that time, he met and married Senator Stevenson's Washington D.C. Senate aide, Sheryl Pitts. Chas Wolff strongly believed in and encouraged participation of citizens in the policy decision-making process at all levels of government. This was manifested in his own election to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees in 1986 where his fellow Trustees later expressed their faith in his leadership by electing him president of that group in 1989. Chas Wolff was a tireless advocate for the University of Illinois and for government and public affairs. He passed away in 1991 leaving an indelible mark of his commitment to public service.