Tag History
Flower links Civil War, natural history and ‘the blood of heroes’
On August 14, 1864, in a Union Army camp in Georgia, a captain from Wisconsin plucked a plant, pressed it onto a sheet of paper, wrote a letter describing the plant as "certainly the most interesting specimen I ever saw," and sent it with the plant to a scientist he called "Friend" in Wisconsin. Read More
The power of a story: Hundreds expected for Oral History Association conference
Wisconsin, and Madison in particular, will be front and center during the Oral History Association’s 48th annual meeting. The meeting will take place at the Madison Concourse Hotel from Oct. 8-12. This year’s theme, “Oral History in Motion: Movements, Transformations, and the Power of Story,” speaks to the rich history of Wisconsin, and Madison, says Ed Van Gemert, University of Wisconsin–Madison vice provost for libraries and university librarian. Read More
Environmental historian William Cronon awarded Wilderness Society’s highest honor
Environmental historian and University of Wisconsin–Madison professor William Cronon has been presented with The Wilderness Society’s Robert Marshall Award — the organization’s highest civilian honor — for his contributions to the protection of America’s wild places. The award, named for wilderness visionary Robert Marshall, is given to a private citizen who has made outstanding, long-term contributions to conservation and fostering an American land ethic. Read More
Excavation exposes Roman imperial outpost at its bitter end
Like Pompeii, the ancient ruins of Zeugma, a frontier city of the Roman Empire on the banks of the Euphrates River in what is now modern Turkey, stood frozen in time. Read More
Legend in genetics at forefront of book about heroism during 20th century’s darkest hours
Waclaw Szybalski, 92, a genius of genetics who has been repeatedly mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Prize, grew up as an aspiring scientist during World War II in the eastern part of Poland. Many of Szybalski's most significant wartime roles concerned a decidedly applied type of science: He cooked TNT so the Polish resistance could sabotage rail lines. He participated in smuggling typhus vaccine to Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. And he fed lice and supervised "louse feeders." Read More
Alumni celebrate 165 years of UW excellence with Founders’ Day
February 5, 1849: Twenty young men gather in a small brick building near the State Capitol for the University of Wisconsin's inaugural class. Read More
UW’s own ‘Monuments Men’ leave a legacy
Archivists and librarians don’t typically get a lot of publicity. So when Hollywood stars like Matt Damon and George Clooney portray the heroic contributions that archivists made to World War II, it’s a pretty big deal. Read More
Wisconsin Historical Society to host civil rights film series
The Wisconsin Historical Society will host a four-part documentary film series, "Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggles," at the society's Madison headquarters from February through April. Read More
A grieving campus: Recalling the JFK assassination, 50 years later
Each generation has a “where-were-you-when” moment that serves as a generational touchstone. For Baby Boomers, that moment happened 50 years ago this Friday, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a Dallas motorcade. Read More
Missing WWII soldier may be found with help of UW–Madison scientists
On Aug. 13, 1944, German soldiers retreating from a U.S. Army reconnaissance patrol in Normandy blew up an armored car. Pfc. Lawrence S. Gordon, a 28-year-old Canadian enlistee, had been riding in the Ford-build M8 Greyhound, and likely died in the explosion and fire. Read More
John Dean to speak on Watergate, lawyers and ethics
John Dean, best known as former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon and a key witness in the Senate Watergate hearings, will deliver the University of Wisconsin Law School's 2013 Kastenmeier Lecture at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at Gordon Dining and Event Center, Second Floor, 770 W. Dayton St. Read More
Colonial Jamestown archeologist to dispel myths in Madison lecture
There are so many common myths about Jamestown - the first permanent English colony in North America - William Kelso keeps a list handy. Read More
Photo essay: A Birthday Feast for the Eyes
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of ecologist John T. Curtis' birth on Sept. 20, 1913, we share some moments from a recent early morning spent exploring Curtis Prairie at the UW–Madison Arboretum. Read More
Jones book highlights forgotten history of March on Washington
August 28 marks the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, which drew nearly 250,000 to the nation's capital. Read More
“I Have a Dream” is speech for the ages
Martin Luther King Jr. gave thousands of speeches in his life, both as a minister and as a leader of the civil rights movement in the United States, but one stands above the rest: “I Have a Dream.” Read More
Ceremony to honor John Muir, legendary preservationist
To recognize the 175th anniversary of the birth of John Muir, and to honor one of history's most influential preservationists, a plaque will be dedicated on Thursday, June 20 within sight of Muir's dormitory room in North Hall. The plaque recalls the naturalist's first botany lesson, received under a black locust tree growing next to the historic building. Read More
Large, culturally significant textile collection unpacked
Yes, all kinds of works of art are being unpacked as part of the more than 13,000-piece Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. The collection had been housed off campus for four years while work was being completed on the new Nancy Nicholas Hall in the School of Human Ecology Building. Read More
History professor documents GI conduct in WWII France
On June 6, 1944, a massive military force arrived on the beaches of Normandy in a surprise invasion intended to overthrow Nazi Germany. The story of brave Allied forces splashing ashore under heavy fire has been immortalized in novels, memoirs, documentary films, and blockbuster movies - with American GIs cast as the unequivocal heroes of the day. Read More
Archaeologists on front lines of protecting ancient culture in turbulent regions
J. Mark Kenoyer stands on a windswept peak in Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan, his head wrapped in a traditional scarf against the harsh sun. As he chats in a mixture of Urdu and Pashto with an Afghan archaeologist, it’s easy to see why documentarian Brent Huffman wanted the University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of anthropology to appear in his upcoming film about Mes Aynak, a 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery. Read More