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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Comments
Gregory Schultz, ‘70, x’72 October 30, 2024
Those were the times. The 602 Club (1966-75) too afraid to go in when I should have! Sterling Hall bombing UW telephone operator on duty that eventful morning…and so many more important stories covered by the magazine. Keep it up!