One of the main functions of university systems is training public servants. In the mid-1950s, in Latin America, schools emerged that sought to train professional public servants. The Chilean case began in 1954 when the State applied developmental policies and expanded social benefits. In 1973, the coup d'état changed this model to one of a minimal and subsidiary State. Consequently, the training of public administrators was also put under review. In this context, the idea of creating a School of Public Administration at the University of Chile was discussed. This article analyzes this discussion within the context of the development of the discipline and its training programs in previous decades. Specifically, the paper answers the following questions: What were the foundations that justified the creation of the faculty? How was public administration conceived as an autonomous academic field? What were the training and research objectives? How was the faculty expected to be institutionalized to achieve the goals set? How is this proposal framed within Chile's public administration education history? The paper answers these questions from a perspective that combines an intellectual history approach to public administration and the current academic debate on the factors that influence the characteristics of training programs in public administration. This is done using historical research methods.