The National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) had a unique status among federally funded research and development center in education. Its funding was authorized by the federal legislation for career and technical and administered by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, not the Institute for Education Sciences. This paper reviews the origins of the NRCCTE and the process that led to its unique status. The National Center was originally authorized by the Education Amendments of 1976 and reauthorized by the four Perkins acts. The responsibilities of the Center set forth in each of these acts are presented. The paper concludes with an overview of the program of work conducted by the National Research Center at the University of Louisville. (Contains 6 notes.)