An Anniversary Party in Our Pages

1965’s “Boxing Bucky.” UW Archives

In our last issue, On Wisconsin published a trivia quiz to mark UW–Madison’s 175th anniversary. But if you thought we’d leave it at that — well, you don’t know us very well. We’ll seize on any pretext for celebrating the UW, especially if it gives us a chance to write about glorious triumphs and cherished traditions. In this issue, we keep the anniversary party going by tracing the university’s extraordinary path from 1848 to 2023.

“Surprising Stories from UW Archives” evokes UW history with a selection of significant objects: everything from a 1920s freshman beanie to a tear-gas canister used in the Vietnam War protests. “Creating the Badger Brand” explores the eccentric history of the UW’s iconic logos. “Whatever Happened to the Badger Yearbook?” showcases a UW tradition that passed from the scene, a victim of changing tastes and technology. Luckily, we still have all those beautiful old yearbooks to display in our pages.

Two sports stories touch on a UW tradition that’s still alive and well: winning. “Badgers at the Buzzer!” offers inside perspectives on some of the most exciting UW athletic contests from the past half-century. And the cover story looks at the greatest women’s hockey program in NCAA history, fresh off its seventh national title.

Our Winter issue isn’t solely focused on the past. We also profile faculty, students, and alumni seeking solutions for today’s problems, including cutting-edge treatments for blindness and cancer. Badgers continue to change the world — and we can’t wait to see what innovations they’ll unveil between now and the 200th anniversary.

Published in the Winter 2023 issue