history
Image vs. Reality
In a pandemic, illustrating our spring issue was no easy task.
The Concerts You Never Forget
These campus-area shows have passed into UW–Madison mythology.
How the Humanities Building Went Wrong
From the start, problems plagued a piece of architecture that could have been great.
A True-Crime Must-See
In A Wilderness of Error, Errol Morris ’69 revisits a notorious murder case.
Running from Race
Librarian Louise Butler Walker ’35 took desperate measures to survive in a racist society.
Wreckage and Recovery
Our article on the Sterling Hall bombing is a unique contribution to the historical record.
The Blast That Changed Everything
A 50-year perspective on the Sterling Hall bombing from alumni who lived through it.
David Blight: A New Take on Frederick Douglass
His acclaimed biography profiles the great American abolitionist.
A Monument to Tolerance
Meet the new Library Mall sculpture.
Lost in Space
It’s getting mighty crowded in space as debris from satellites, labs, and other things shot into Earth’s orbit degrade over time and threaten to fall back to where they came from.
Reckoning with History
Bryce Richter
Between 1919 and 1926, two UW student organizations took the name Ku Klux Klan, and a report delving into…
Parental POV
A history course tackles the 1970s–90s through a generational lens.
Madison, Revisited
Been awhile since you've visited the UW's hometown? Consider an itinerary made up of beautiful views, a raft of restaurants, and a less-traveled path on campus.
Paul Rusk ’77, MA’91
Photo courtesy of Naomi Halverson
“We must always remember that we — the people of this nation — should and can…
A Judge on Trial
John Becker LLB1890 lost his career in public service when his words were deemed a crime.
Keep on a- Rock’n Us, Baby
Steve Miller x’65 reflects on how his time on campus, being an English major, and growing up with a famous godfather affected his music career.
A Civil Rights Pioneer
The influence of Lloyd Barbee LLB’56, a civil rights leader and lawyer in the 1960s and ’70s, lives on through Justice for…
A Muffled Voice
A UW researcher shines a light on a lost essay.
Witness to History
Sarah Morton
Military history professor John Hall spent 15 years on active duty as an infantry officer and strategic planner for…
One great letter
When the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research asked Hollywood heavyweights to contribute to its archives, comedian, writer, and film star Groucho…
Dow: 50 Years Later
A moment in history that transformed the lives of many students and the UW campus.
10 Things Aldo Leopold Used in the Field
UW Archives is home to items that belonged to the ecologist who became the most influential conservation thinker of the 20th century.
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.
John Woolley MA’74, PhD’80
Matt Perko
John Woolley MA’74, PhD’80 was 12 when he stood at a Nashville, Tennessee, curb watching President John…
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…
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.