In October 1964, President Milton S. Eisenhower appointed the Long Range Planning Committee with the charge of conducting a thorough and continuing study of the objectives, problems, and plans of the University, assessing the future course of the University and suggesting practical, financially feasible means of carrying out its recommendations.

It does not seem that any specific event inspired the establishment of the committee. In the report to the President, the committee described the course of the University until 1960 to show that Hopkins was at a turning point in its history. The establishment of the University in 1876 was a landmark in American higher education. By 1890, however, Hopkins was already falling back from its prominent position due to financial problems, which continued to plague the University; by 1960, Hopkins was no longer considered among the superior graduate universities of America. Using ranking surveys as a guide, the Long Range Planning Committee observed that, although the University had fallen from a position of seventh in 1924 to "among the 'second ten' following the top twelve universities" in 1960, a study later in the 1960s listed Johns Hopkins "in the middle of the second ten universities." Thus, the stature of the University was no longer declining, and it was time to renew its commitment to eminence in higher education. The committee observed that the progress made during the 1950s and early 1960s, as reflected in financial solvency, academic and departmental quality, construction of new facilities and faculty spirit, exceeded that of all the preceding years of the century. They felt that full advantage should be taken of "the luxury of responding confidently to opportunities rather than simply reacting to crises."

The members of the committee were: William D. McElroy, chairman, Ivan Bennet, George Benton, John Hume, Leon Madansky, J. Hillis Miller, Francis Rourke, Paul Talalay, and Bruce Partridge. Their activities included discussions among themselves; studies by subcommittees; correspondence with faculty, alumni, and students; and reference to national studies. The members of the subcommittees were as follows:

Evening College: Robert Roy, chairman, James G. Anderson, David F. Bramhall, William R. Coleman, Doris Entwisle, Robert E. Green, Richard J. Kokes, and Frederick T. Sparrow Graduate Education (Participants in the Meeting on Graduate Education in 1963): Milton S. Eisenhower, Irene Davis, G. Heberton Evans, Jr., Wendell R. Garner, Roger M. Herriot, Harold E. Hoelscher, Ross Jones, Albert L. Lehninger, Leon Madansky, Maurice Mandelbaum, Francis E. Rourke, Robert H. Roy, G. Wilson Shaffer, Keith Spalding, Carl P. Swanson, and Francis O. Wilcox Plant (Physical): Ferdinand Hamburger, chairman, William Campbell, secretary, Michael Beer, William D. McElroy, Alex Nickon, David E. Ryer, and John P. Young Post-Doctoral Education: Kenneth L. Zierler, chairman, J. C. Butler, secretary, Samuel P. Asper, Jr., Jerald E. Ericksen, Roger M. Herriot, Walter S. Koski, William H. McClain, Alvin Nason, Charles Singleton, and W. S. Torgerson Undergraduate Affairs: M. Gordon Wolman, chairman, John Berthel, Carl Christ, James Coleman, Edward Lee, Clement Market, George Owen, Peter Wagner, and John Synodinos.

The Committee was discharged after making its report in June 1966.