International House Davis was a dream until the late 1970s. At that time Mr. and Mrs. Shunta Yamamoto of Tokyo arrived with the idea of starting such an institution in Davis. Community people worked together to realize the dream, and the non-profit corporation was formally established in 1981. Two years later the ideally located property at 10 College Park became available and was acquired through a generous gift from the Yamamotos. The facility, known as  International House Davis, opened in March 1984 as a program center.

Since that time, a working board of 15-20 volunteers has managed the facility and developed programs. For eight years the organization was guided by dedicated, part-time program directors. In 1990 the city of Davis and UC Davis granted I-House service contracts which allowed the board to hire a full-time executive director and office manager. The next year a volunteer coordinator was added.

In 1989, I-House underwent a major renovation, and in 1993, volunteers contributed 2,300 hours to build the much-needed Hagan Conference Room. In 1997, a 3,300 sq. ft. south wing was added, greatly improving the organization's ability to provide quality programs.