In early 1947, Indiana University President Herman B Wells was approached by a representative of the Unites States Military Government in Germany (OMGUS) to head the new Education and Cultural Affairs Division of the Occupation in Germany as well as serve as General Clay's cultural affairs advisor. At the time Indiana University was in the midst of coping with post-war problems, such as a yearly increase in the influx of students, and neither the Board of Trustees nor the Governor of Indiana were favorably disposed to Wells taking the year-long leave requested by the Government. In the end, the prestige of the post, both for Wells and the University, and Wells' suitability to the mission convinced the trustees and the governor to grant him a six month leave of absence.

President Wells arrived in Berlin on November 21, 1947 to a city still in ruins. He immediately began questioning the existing staff about the problems that needed to be solved. From that questioning, and the wishes of General Clay, four primary challenges and objectives emerged: 1. To assemble cultural activities in a single division under a unified policy and administration; 2. To create an agency in the U.S. to serve as a liaison between the American people and the Education and Cultural Relations Division (ECRD); 3. To stimulate military-government divisions to enter reorientation work; and 4. To recruit qualified personnel for the ECRD in Germany and in stateside organizations.

During his six month stay, Wells worked closely with both German and American education experts to restructure the German education system along more democratic lines while respecting German traditions. Here, as with everything he did, Wells used his abilities as a communicator to facilitate communication between the Americans and the Germans, and the educators and the military. Among Wells' many accomplishments during his six months in Germany were the rapid improvement and expansion of the exchange program and the establishment of the Free University of Berlin.