Selig’s connections with UW-Madison celebrated at Miller Park

University of Wisconsin–Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and invited guests will celebrate Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig and his connections with the university at the Milwaukee Brewers’ game Friday, Aug. 27, versus the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park.

Selig earned his bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from UW–Madison in 1956. He has established the Allan H. Selig Chair in History at the university, and recent gifts – from three MLB owners and the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation – have set up scholarships in his honor for UW–Madison students with financial need.

“Bud’s incredible generosity and the generosity he has inspired in others in Major League Baseball reflect a remarkable dedication to education and to UW–Madison,” says Martin. “These gifts strengthen our academic mission and help ensure that college costs won’t be a barrier to our next generation of leaders. We are deeply grateful for the leadership that made these gifts possible.”

The distinguished Selig chair will support a new faculty position in United States history that will focus on the relationship between sports and society from 1900 to the present.

“This is something that means a great deal to me,” Selig says, pointing to the importance of both scholarships and the study of the importance of sport in society. “I’m thrilled the owners and the Aarons have come through.”

The commissioner added: “Every time I go back to Madison, I have a great fondness for my time there. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. … When I left Madison a long time ago, I thought I’d return as a history professor.”

Three MLB owners have joined to create a Great People Scholarship at UW–Madison in honor of Selig and his wife, Suzanne.

Mark Attanasio, chair and principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers; Lew Wolff, owner and managing partner of the Oakland A’s; and Tom Werner, co-owner and chair of the Boston Red Sox, have endowed the Suzanne and Allan “Bud” Selig Great People Scholarship. Great People Scholarships, Martin’s top fundraising priority on campus, are part of support packages that include student and family contributions, loans and work-study jobs.

And, as part of the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation’s efforts at universities around the country, MLB Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and his wife, Billye, have established an endowed “4 for 4” Scholarship in honor of Selig at UW–Madison. The scholarship was established through the Dream Chaser Fund with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.