Tradition

On Wisconsin’s Greatest Hits

Celebrating 125 years of the UW–Madison alumni magazine

The Wisconsin Alumni Magazine from March of 1929.

UW Archives

UW–Madison has been publishing an alumni magazine for 125 years — and may we offer a suggestion for celebrating our big anniversary? Reading! Below is a selection of popular articles about UW people, places, sports, research, history, and traditions, organized by category so you can easily locate your favorite Badger subjects. And for our superfans (we know you’re out there), here’s a link to archival issues stretching all the way back to October 1899.

BADGER HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

Seven State Street Stalwarts

Amid constant change, these classic businesses have lasted more than half a century.

If You Want to Be a Badger

There are a few things that every UW–Madison grad should know. Do you make the grade?

Creating the Badger Brand

The quirky origins of the UW’s world-famous logos

The Speech That Launched Your Life

Relive the UW’s wisest commencement addresses.

Terrace Chairs

The sunburst design is one of the UW’s most recognizable symbols.

Green, orange and yellow chairs dot the Memorial Union Terrace after a recent shower.

The sunburst Terrace chair design was implemented in 1981. Jeff Miller

Surprising Stories from UW Archives

These unusual artifacts shine a light on campus history, from lost traditions to lesser-known heroes.

The Millennia before UW–Madison

How the First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour became a unique campus institution

The Concerts You Never Forget

These campus-area shows have passed into UW–Madison mythology.

UW Mysteries, Secrets, and Hidden Places

Join us on a tour of secluded spots that few have ever seen.

How Badgers Eat

A history of UW cuisine

How Well Do You Know UW–Madison?

Test your knowledge in a 175th anniversary quiz.

Twenty-Five Years of “Jump Around”

The synchronized dance break during Wisconsin football games is a cherished ritual. Here’s why.

Bucky Badger Push-Ups

Read our definitive account of how and when the tradition began.

Forward March

The UW Band’s set list has evolved with the times.

Abraham Lincoln Statue

A hop onto Abe’s lap is a high point of any UW commencement weekend.

Statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of Bascom Hall.

A visit with the Abe Lincoln statue is a high point of any UW commencement weekend. Jeff Miller

The Beloved Badger Bash

The pregame party has grown from low-key to high-powered.

Statue of Liberty 3.0

The rise, fall, and rise of a beloved UW tradition

Babcock Hall Ice Cream

The legendary scoops are a student staple as well as a tourist attraction.

ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS

The Best of Barry Alvarez

Set to retire, the athletic director picks his favorite moments from a legendary Badger career.

Badgers at the Buzzer!

Legendary UW sporting events that came down to the wire

Hockey Dynasty

The UW women’s team makes history, again and again.

Dana Rettke and Volleyball: Meant for Each Other

Would you believe the UW star once loved a different sport?

The Comeback Coach

Kelly Sheffield has turned a struggling UW volleyball program into an NCAA powerhouse.

I’m Going to Be Intense

How head coach Luke Fickell will transform Badger football

A Story of Almosts

Lee Kemp ’79, MBA’83 is the greatest wrestler you’ve never heard of.

Coach of the Year

Greg Gard has overcome adversity to lead Badger men’s basketball to new heights.

So You Think You Know Ron Dayne?

There’s more to the UW’s legendary running back than most people realize.

Gwen Jorgensen

The triathlete takes a roundabout road to the Rio Olympics.

Six Lessons from the Rose Bowl

We went to cover a football game and discovered a community. 

AMAZING ALUMNI

From Wisconsin, With Humor

With The Manitowoc Minute, Charlie Berens lets the world in on the state’s inside jokes.

Not Your Grandmother’s Miss America

Grace Stanke ’23 brings Wisconsin nice and nuclear know-how to an American tradition.

Grace Stank stands in a sunlit field

2023 Miss America Grace Stanke majored in nuclear engineering at UW–Madison. Althea Dotzour

Why the Doctor Has Green Hair

David Margolis MD’89 combines his passion for the Milwaukee Bucks with his work as a pediatric oncologist.

The One and Only Andre De Shields

The Tony–winning Broadway star forged his artistic identity at UW–Madison.

The Teachings of Plants

Robin Wall Kimmerer MS’78, PhD’83 braids Western science and Indigenous knowledge. into a vision for a sustainable future.

A Moviemaker on a Mission

With singular intensity, Michael Mann ’65 pits loners against the powers that be.

These Boots Were Made for History

Retrace the steps of UW limnologist Harriet Bell Merrill 1890, who defied the doubters to conduct pioneering fieldwork in South America.

A black and white photo of Mary Hinkson dancing on stage, her arm and leg extended, and her long skirt draped over her leg.

At UW–Madison, Mary Hinkson discovered the science of movement as well as some of the complicated realities of what it means to be black in America. UW Archives S16295

Dance, Dance Revolutionary

Before she was a world-leading dancer, Mary Hinkson ’46, MS’47 learned to thrive in a segregated Madison.

Finding a Voice, against All Odds

The UW Odyssey Project empowers nontraditional students to speak up and pursue their dreams.

 UW RESEARCH IN ACTION

A Hero Comes Home

The UW’s MIA Project collaborates with the Department of Defense to return the remains of a World War II pilot missing for 75 years.

Progress on Alzheimer’s Disease

According to UW geriatrician Nathaniel Chin ’06, MD’10, “We are on a trajectory for prevention.”

Earth’s Bright Future

Despite bleak environmental news, the UW’s Nelson Institute finds reasons to hope.

Psychedelic Wonder Drugs

UW–Madison leads the way in a potentially transformative field of medicine.

Fixing the Future

UW researchers offer reasons for hope.

The Truth in Our Genes

UW researchers have new tools for explaining who we are and improving our lives.

The Quest for a Kinder Cure

Paul Sondel ’71, PhD’75 searches for the most effective, least disruptive way to end childhood cancers.

CHALLENGING SUBJECTS

A Dane County Sheriff looks at Sterling Hall's blown-out windows and crumbled exterior walls.

The 1970 bombing of Sterling Hall was the most destructive act of domestic terrorism the nation had yet seen. UW Archives

The Blast That Changed Everything

A 50-year perspective on the Sterling Hall bombing from alumni who lived through it.

Hard Truth

NFL star Chris Borland walked away from football to protect his brain — and to educate others.

How the Humanities Building Went Wrong

From the start, problems plagued a piece of architecture that could have been great.

Looking Back to Move Forward

UW–Madison grapples with the prejudice in its past.

THEME ISSUES

The Future Issue

The Women’s Issue

The List Issue

Published in the Fall 2024 issue

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