history
How to Save a Life
After hitting bottom, Dean Olsen ’82 used his love for maps and support from UW–Madison to create a tool for preserving the memories of others and build a new life for himself.
Our Man in Berlin
As a foreign correspondent in Germany, Louis Lochner 1909 chronicled the rise of the Third Reich and helped Americans understand how Adolf Hitler amassed power.
Russia in Focus
The new Wisconsin Russia Project aims to help the U.S. be more prepared to manage a calculating Kremlin with yet-to-be-determined ambitions.
Food as Ammo
From meatless Tuesdays to research aimed at improving agricultural production, food was deemed a key weapon against the Germans.
All Hands on Deck
Scientists weren’t the only faculty members to assist the government — historians, geologists, and others pitched in, too.
The Great War at Home
When the U.S. entered the First World War, the UW joined the fight by training soldiers, conducting poison-gas research, and sending students to work on Wisconsin farms.
Stitching History
UW students connect to a designer’s lost legacy.
Alt-Rock Apex
A new documentary tells the story of a legendary Madison recording studio.
A Taste of Freedom
From urban gardening to Southern black farmers who organized against oppression, UW assistant professor Monica White’s research reveals a missing chapter in the civil rights narrative.
Shakespeare’s First Folio
The UW’s Chazen Museum of Art will host an exhibition of the 1623 First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, in honor …
John Woolley MA’74, PhD’80
John Woolley MA’74, PhD’80 was 12 when he stood at a Nashville, Tennessee, curb watching President John …
Ben McCready x’76
The portrait painter’s roster includes four U.S. presidents and several celebrities, such as George Clooney and Paul Newman.
The Mysterious Mastodon
A mashup of science and old-fashioned detective work revealed the true origins of a mastodon skeleton on display at the UW for a century.
Sacred Ground
Picnic Point is a beloved campus playground, but it’s also a landscape rich in history that goes back thousands of years.
Dalton Trumbo’s Papers
The UW holds a piece of Hollywood history.
History Book
If these shoes could talk: Students learn the art of making objects speak.
Kings of Sherman Park
Herb Kohl ’56 and Bud Selig ’56.
The Warlord’s Biographer
In his recent book, Brian Williams PhD’99 sets the record straight on Afghanistani general and now vice president Abdul Dostum, who, along with his cavalry of two thousand Uzbek horsemen, helped the United States defeat the Taliban in a key battle in late 2001.
Safe Haven
Thai alum finds asylum at the UW.
How can you not care about the past?
It’s a question that Erika Janik MA’04, MA’06 has been asking since her childhood.
Adopting History
A UW professor inspires students to honor WW II soldiers.
The Kick that Captivated a Country
An excerpt from The Opening Kickoff explores how UW legend Pat O'Dea "put the foot in football" and gained long-overdue respect for the Wisconsin team during the early days of intercollegiate athletics.
Does Democracy Work?
Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried.
Constructing Community
An artist shares his rare talent — and his culture.
History 201
Combating misconceptions about ancient Rome.
Archaeologists on the Front Lines
A professor steps up to protect an ancient culture from modern threats.
Classic Car Enthusiast
Engineering professor explores the mysteries of chariots.
Moving Mountains
An exhibit shows that sparse information once led to cartographic creativity.