The Andersen Library Blog

Written by Ashley Bowe

The history of the wrestling team goes back to the mid-1950s as part of a campus promotion and celebration. The presence of wrestling on campus started as a promotional event called “Campus Chaos”, which was a variety show of both boxing and wrestling that started in 1956.^[1] The event took off and was held annually by the sophomore class until 1960, with various names such as “Campus Catastrophe” or “Campus Confusion,” when the Veteran’s League took over sponsoring the event.^[2]

By the early 1960s, thanks to the success of the “Campus Confusion” event, the interest in wrestling on campus had grown. The university organized its first wrestling team for the 1961 -1962 season. During a time when the university had no officially recognized mascot, the wrestling team was initially known as the “matmen.”[3] The team had a remarkable start, going undefeated in its second season and finishing 3rd at the State Collegiate Tournament^[4].

Wrestling continued to grow as a sport throughout the rest of the 1960s. Cecil Austin was the first All-American wrestler for Whitewater and won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) for his weight class during the 1966-1967 season.[6] In addition to Austin, two other teammates, John Bauman and Bob Schuldt, won the (WIAC) championship in their respective weight classes during that same season, making them the first three WIAC champions in school history[7] In total, through the 2023-2024 season, 102 Whitewater wrestlers have been named All-American, and 127 wrestlers have been crowned WIAC champions.

While UW-Whitewater’s wrestling team has never won the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) championship, the wrestling team has made 38 national championship appearances since 1981, finishing as high as second place, falling to Wartburg, in 2014.[9] Wrestling at Whitewater has come a long way from its beginnings as an exhibition as part of a campus variety show to a battle for the title of national champion.

^[1] Minneiska, 1956, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, https://jstor.org/stable/community.29916417.

^[2] Mary Janette Bohi, “Toward New Frontiers: The Search for Excellence,” in A History of Wisconsin State University Whitewater, 1868-1968 (Whitewater, Wisconsin: Whitewater State University Foundation, Inc., 1967), 224.

[3] “Matmen to Meet Marquette JV’s,” The Royal Purple, February 27, 1962.

^[4] Minneiska, 1963, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center,  https://jstor.org/stable/community.29916418.

[5] Minneiska, 1963, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 197,  https://jstor.org/stable/community.29916418.

[6] “Wrestling All-Americans,” Wrestling, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2024/1/29/wrestling-all-americans.aspx; Minneiska, 1967, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 128, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.30048827.  

[7] “Wrestling Conference Champions,” Wrestling, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2024/1/29/wrestling-wiac-champions.aspx;  “Wrestling Tri-Captains Finish On Top,” The Royal Purple, March 16. 1967.

[8] “Wrestling Tri-Captains Finish On Top,” The Royal Purple, March 16. 1967.

[9] “Wrestling NCCAA Championship History (Team),” Wrestling,” https://uwwsports.com/sports/2024/1/29/wrestling-ncaa-tournament.aspx; Christopher Clapper, “Warhawks finish as runner-up,” The Royal Purple, March 19, 2014, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002010.   

Written by Jacob Ober

In 2008, the UW-Whitewater Warhawks softball team made their longest postseason run since 1987 by advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series. This would mark the 13^th overall appearance for the Warhawks softball team in the NCAA Division III tournament.[1] The Warhawks defeated defending national champion DePauw University in back-to-back games with final scores of 2-1 and 6-2 in the regional round, moving them forward to the championship round. Head Coach Brenda Volk said, “This team is amazing…There is not just one individual that we rely on. It seems like every game someone different steps us with a big hit or a big play. Every single person on the field and in the dugout has contributed to our success this year and it is a great feeling.”[2]

At the start of the championship round, the Warhawks would lose 5-4 to New York-Cortland before notching four straight wins to earn a spot in the World Series Title Game.[4] The Warhawks advanced thanks to a 2-1 victory over Louisiana College, the number one-seeded team in the tournament. They were led by a stellar performance from starting pitcher Jessica Stang, co-winner of the 2008 WIAC Pitcher of the Year Award, who went the full 7 innings and only allowed one run on seven hits. After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the 6^th inning and down to their final three outs, the Warhawks roared back in the top of the 7^th and took a 2-1 lead thanks to a 2-run home run by right fielder Suzanne Gersich, her 12^th of the year.[5]  In securing the victory, the Warhawks earned their spot in the World Series Title Game.

Unfortunately, the Warhawks’ remarkable run would end in the final game, where they lost to UW-Eau Claire 4-3 in extra innings. Despite getting out to a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning on a home run by Gersich, UW-Eau Claire would strike back to tie the game in the bottom of the 7^th, sending the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the 9^th, UW-Eau Claire slugger Jill Janke hit a 1-1 pitch over the fence for a walk-off home run, ending the Warhawks’ season in heartbreaking fashion.[7] However, the 2008 Warhawks softball team would be a team to remember, as they set numerous school records, including most runs scored in a season (319), most home runs (68), most RBIs (275), most total bases (751), and most strikeouts (337) and strikeouts per game (6.74).[8] Individually, center fielder Amy Gahl set a record for most hits in a season (70), a record that would stand for almost a decade before being broken by Mallory Klotz in 2017, who recorded 71 hits.[9]

The Warhawks would return to the NCAA Division III Championship in 2014, although they failed to qualify for the World Series Title Game. No Warhawk softball team has made it to the World Series game since the record-breaking 2008 team.  

[1] Mike Daly, “Warhawks eliminate No. 1 team to advance to final 8,” The Royal Purple, May 14, 2008.

[2] Sara Kuhl, “Quest for national championship titles continues for softball, baseball team,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, May 12, 2008, https://www.uww.edu/news/archive/2008-05-softball-baseball-playoffs.

[3] “Warhawks Earn Spot in World Series Title Game,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, May 19, 2008, https://uwwsports.com/news/2008/5/19/softball_05192008_louisiana.aspx.

[4] “2008 Softball Schedule,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/sports/softball/schedule/2008.

[5] “Warhawks Earn Spot in World Series Title Game,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, May 19, 2008, https://uwwsports.com/news/2008/5/19/softball_05192008_louisiana.aspx.

[6]“Warhawks Finish Second in NCAA Division III Tournament,” University of Wisconsin Whitewater Athletics, May 19th, 2008, https://uwwsports.com/news/2008/5/19/softball_05192008_eauclaire.aspx.

[7] Ibid.

[8] “Softball Season Records,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2024/5/2/softball-season-records.aspx.

[9] Ibid.

[10] “2007-08 athletics year in review,” The Royal Purple, August 27, 2008.

Written by Riley Smith

 John A. “Jack”  Heide was hired at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, then called Whitewater State Teachers College, in 1948, where he took on the role of English Department Chair.^[1] During the 1950s and 1960s, Heide greatly expanded the English department, eventually making it the largest department on campus at the time. Heide was a big proponent of keeping class sizes small, even the typically larger required freshman courses, to aid student/professor relationships.^[2] His dedication to students extended outside of the classroom. In 1949, Heide organized a student writing club called the Wits and sponsored a student literary magazine named The Tower, a precursor to the Muse, UW-Whitewater’s current literature and arts magazine.^[3]

The Wits club was known as an informal writing club, in which all students were invited to meet and discuss various literary topics, including members’ writings.^[5] In the same year the club began, they published the first edition of The Tower to exhibit club members’ writings. The opening paragraph of the first edition reads, “In presenting this magazine, it is the intention of the club to give the public a chance to read samples of the types of creative writings at which club members have been working during the year.”^[6] The magazine could be bought for a small fee.^[7] The fee was then used to raise money for guest speakers to attend campus events; as Chair of the University Convocation Committee, Heide was in charge of planning said events. ^[8] While anyone could be a member of Wits, The Tower’s staff was hand-picked by the Wits club members.^[9]

Eventually, the Wits club began hosting writing competitions where winning students would receive a cash prize of $5, later bumped up to $10, and a feature in The Tower.^[11] At first, four categories were made available for submission: one-act play, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.^[12] In the 1960s, when the cash prize grew to $10, three more categories were added: essay, two-dimensional art, and three-dimensional art.^[13] When these contests began, The Tower provided a way to highlight the writing and artistic talents of all students, not just the Wits club members.

Sadly, in April of 1968, Heide passed away from smoke inhalation during an accidental house fire. Weeks later, devastated by the loss, the UW-W campus dedicated the new humanities building to Heide.^[14] The last edition of The Tower, in 1968, was also dedicated to his memory.^[15]

You can browse issues of The Tower online at https://www.jstor.org/site/uww/.  

^[1] Richard C. Haney, Campus Cornerstones, University of Wisconsin– Whitewater: biographical sketches of the people for whom buildings & facilities are named (Whitewater, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin– Whitewater, 1997), 59.

^[2] Ibid., 59.

^[3]  Ibid., 59.

[4] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 58.

^[5] “Literary Club Discusses Art,” Royal Purple, Sept. 10, 1963.

^[6] “The Word Before,” The Tower, 1949, 3.

^[7] “Wits Plan To Publish New Literary Magazine,” Royal Purple, May 17, 1949.

^[8] Haney, “Campus Cornerstones,” 59.

^[9] “Wits Club to Choose TOWER Staff Tonight,” Royal Purple, March 14, 1961.

[10] Lee Ashton and John Leslie, The Tower, 1949.

^[11] “Wits Contest Ends April 20,” Royal Purple, April 17, 1956.

^[12] “Wits Contest Winners Told,” Royal Purple, May 8, 1956.

^[13] “Winners of Wits Contest Are Chosen,” Royal Purple, May 8, 1962.

^[14] Haney, “Campus Cornerstones,” 59.

^[15] The Tower, 1968, 43.

Written by Jacob Ober

On April 21^st, 1868, also known as “Founder’s Day,” a dedication ceremony was held for the newly-opened Whitewater Normal School. 100 years later, Whitewater Normal School, having been recently renamed to Wisconsin State University-Whitewater in 1964, celebrated its centennial anniversary. When Whitewater Normal School was founded, the 48 students enrolled were taught by 9 faculty members. 100 years later, the school had expanded far beyond its original function of being a school for teachers, broadening its curriculum to include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a variety of disciplines. In its centennial year, enrollment at Wisconsin State University-Whitewater topped 8,000 students.[1]

The celebration of Wisconsin State University-Whitewater’s centennial began on January 31, 1968 with a Serendipity Singers concert and the crowning of Mary Conohan as “Miss Centennial.” [3] While there was a year-long celebration, the “Centennial Week” festivities began on April 16th, featuring an art exhibition in Crossman Gallery, a number of music recitals showcasing Whitewater faculty, and different guest speakers from around the country.[4] Speakers included John F. Mee, Mead-Johnson professor of management at Indiana University, Cary McWilliams, editor of The Nation, and Delyte W. Morris, president of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.[5] Celebrations also featured a proclamation by Wisconsin Governor Warren Knowles recognizing 1968 as the centennial year of Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, read by Lieutenant Governor Jack Olson during a reception at Wells high rise.[6] The week-long celebration was capped by the lighting of a 55-foot candle fitted with 1,224 blue, white and gold lights in front of Old Main on April 21^st.[7]

Today, what was formerly the Whitewater Normal School and Wisconsin State University-Whitewater is now called the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a name it has held since 1971. Despite the name changes, the campus continues to celebrate its heritage, with the most recent Founder’s Day observed on April 21^st, 2024, the school’s 156^th anniversary. As we look to the future, one must wonder what kind of celebration will greet students and faculty for the school’s bicentennial in 2068!

[1] “Speakers Named for Whitewater Centennial Week April 16 – 21,” The Whitewater Register, April 4^th, 1968.

[2] Minneiska, 1968, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 122.

[3] “Serendipity Singers Will Kick Off 1968 Centennial Year’s Festivities,” The Royal Purple, January 11, 1968.

[4] “Kickoff of Centennial Celebration, Minneiska, 1968, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 124 – 125; “Fine Arts Events Schedules for WSU Centennial Symposium,” The Whitewater Register, April 18, 1968.

[5] “Speakers Named for Whitewater Centennial Week April 16 – 21,” The Whitewater Register, April 4^th, 1968

[6] “Kickoff of Centennial Celebration, Minneiska, 1968, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 123.

[7] “University Activities Mark Centennial of Whitewater Founding,” The Whitewater Register, April 25, 1968.

[8]”Kickoff of Centennial Celebration, Minneiska, 1968, UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 125.

[9] “Historical Timeline,” 100^th Birthday (1968), University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, https://www.uww.edu/150/timeline

Written by Ashley Bowe

The University of Wisconsin Whitewater is well known for its elite business school, particularly its online MBA program. The program has been ranked number one in Wisconsin for years and has held many honors throughout its history. In recognition of the College of Business and Economics celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the online MBA program during the 2023-2024 academic year, we reflect on the program’s success as well as its impact on UW-Whitewater students.[1] 

The online MBA program opened its virtual doors in 1998 as one of the few universities to offer a completely online MBA degree at that time.[3] It was the first to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).[4] The online MBA was a visionary program in 1998 as it demonstrated a foresight into the future and popularity of online learning.^[5] As an early adopter of online learning, the program was designed to accommodate all students, specifically marketing to students with full-time jobs and families. “It was designed for working adults”, said John Stone, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2016, “it was a way for people who were working full time who wanted a college degree.”^[6] Although the program did not start with servicing non-traditional students, as many were students taking classes online from their dorm rooms, the average age of enrolled students in the online MBA program today is 30 years old with 90% of students taking classes while employed full-time.[7] 

Today, the program continues to hold its ranking as the number one online MBA degree in Wisconsin and 55th in the nation.[8]  As of the 2023-2024 academic year, 760 students are currently enrolled in the program.[9] The top three concentrations within the MBA program include Management, Project Management, and Data Analytics. In addition to being a continuously highly ranked program in the state and nationwide, the online MBA strives to be an economical program. It is credited to be an affordable degree program offering great value at $678 per credit whether you are a Wisconsin resident, an out-of-state student, or an international student. ^[10]

The online MBA at UW-Whitewater was a game-changing and forward-thinking program from the outset and twenty-five years later it continues to be an influential program. Its flexibility and customization possibilities, including 13 emphasis and 50 electives, provide students with choices to “tailor [their] degree to meet [their] career goals.”[12] Over the years, the MBA program has grown steadily and remains the top graduate program at UW-Whitewater in terms of enrollment and degrees awarded. As a program, it has lived up to its potential as a degree that develops aspiring professionals who are “capable of thinking globally, behaving ethically and leading innovation.”^[13]

[1] “UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics celebrates 100^th anniversary,” College of Business and Economics, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, March 1, 2024, https://www.uww.edu/cobe/news/cobe-110th-anniversary. 

[2]“About the Program,” University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Internet Archive, http://academics.uww.edu/business/business.htm.  

[3] Michael O’Herron, “New online program lets MBA students stay at home,” The Royal Purple, October 28, 1998.

[4] Kimberly Wethal, “Online Program Ranked in Top Ten,” The Royal Purple, February 9, 2016, https://royalpurplenews.com/18408/campus/online-program-ranked-in-top-ten/. 

^[5] Dylan Piccolo, “Pioneer Program Stays on Top,” The Royal Purple, February 11, 2019, https://royalpurplenews.com/24509/womens-sports/pioneer-program-stays-on-top/.

^[6] Kimberly Wethal, “Online Program Ranked in Top Ten,” The Royal Purple, February 9, 2016, https://royalpurplenews.com/18408/campus/online-program-ranked-in-top-ten/. 

[7] “University of Wisconsin – Whitewater – College of Business and Economics,” The Princeton Review, https://www.princetonreview.com/business/university-wisconsin-whitewater-college-business-economics-1036185?program=online.  

[8] “Online Master of Business Administration,” University of Whitewater – Online, https://www.uww.edu/online/masters/mba.

[9] “Business Administration – Enrollment by Major & Emphasis,” Institutional Research & Planning, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, May 7, 2024.

^[10] “Online Master of Business Administration,” University of Whitewater – Online, https://www.uww.edu/online/masters/mba.

[11] Nick Pook, 051223_CoBE Masters Hooding 2023_010, May 12, 2023, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

[12] “Online Master of Business Administration,” University of Whitewater – Online, https://www.uww.edu/online/masters/mba.

^[13] “Online Master of Business Administration,” University of Whitewater – Online, https://www.uww.edu/online/masters/mba.

Written by Riley Smith

Jane E. Clem was born in 1886 in Dennis, Kansas. She graduated from Bushnell High School, in Illinois, in 1904 and completed her bachelor’s degree in science and math in 1909 at Hedding College in Abington, Illinois. Clem taught in various high schools in Illinois for 10 years before pursuing her Bachelor of Accounts from Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois in 1916. After years of teaching, Clem went back to school to earn her master’s degree, which she received from the University of Chicago in 1931.[1]

            Clem landed a teaching position at the Whitewater Normal School, now the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, in 1919. During her tenure, Clem was responsible for teaching four classes: third and fourth-year typing, Typewriting, and Typewriting Methods.^[2] Clem had a reputation from her previous teaching positions as being a serious instructor who demanded excellence from her students, while at the same time, being humorous and not so extreme with her workloads that a student would be overwhelmed.^[3] Clem certainly did not disappoint on that account, nor many others. During her 37 years at the university, Clem, along with the help of accounting instructor Paul Carlson and shorthand instructor Marie Benson, advanced the business program which led to a significant increase in enrollment.^[4] Due in part to her work, the university was given the nickname “Typewriter Tech”, and students of Clem were greatly sought after as business education teachers following graduation.^[5] In an interview, Clem said, “I see my Whitewater students who are successfully teaching all over the West. Several have made names for themselves that has brought honor to Whitewater.”^[6]

            Not only was Clem a fantastic instructor, but also an accomplished author and a forefront figure in the typewriting field. In 1929 she published the first typewriting textbook in the United States titled The Technique of Teaching Typewriting. ^[7] The textbook was met with great enthusiasm and became the standard for high school typewriting courses across the country. It remained popular and in January of 1955, Clem released the second edition of the textbook. In 1930, Clem published Clem’s Junior and Senior Typewriting Tests, in which her name was intentionally added to the title to ensure a great amount of sales.^[8] Later, in 1936, Clem would go on to publish an article titled Grading Typewriting Skills which would earn her the title of “one of the country’s outstanding typewriting authorities.”^[9] Then, in 1937, Clem collaborated on the college edition of Business and Personal Typewriting, where many of her survey tests published in the book became standards in the field.[10]

            Clem retired in 1956 and moved to San Diego. Ten years later, in 1966, to celebrate her many accomplishments in the field of typewriting and the acclaim she brought to Whitewater, the university named a newly constructed residence hall in her honor.

[1] Richard C. Haney,  Campus Cornerstones: University of Wisconsin Whitewater Biographical Sketches of the People Whom Buildings & Facilities are Named (Whitewater: University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 1997), 30.

^[1] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 31.

^[2] Haney,  Campus Cornerstones, 31.

^[3] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 31.

^[4] Mary Jannette Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University Whitewater, 1868-1968 (Whitewater, Wisconsin: Whitewater State University Foundation, Inc.), 133-134.

^[5] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 31.

^[6] Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University Whitewater, 1868-1968, 138.

^[7] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 31.

^[8] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 31.

^[9] “Miss Jane Clem recognized as Typewriting Authority,” The Royal Purple, May 18, 1936.

[10] Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University Whitewater, 136.  

[11] “Clem Hall,” University of Wisconsin – Whitewater – Housing, https://www.uww.edu/housing/residencehalls/hall-tours/clem.

Thomas Walterman, grew up in the Quad Cities area to a lower-middle class, German family. After high school, he began working in a factory in Bettendorf, Iowa, before enlisting in the Marines. Walterman spent two years in Korea then returned to his work in the factory. [1] Eventually, Walterman, attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. He then started working as a high school history teacher and simultaneously worked on achieving his master’s degree at the University of Iowa. He later attended Washington University in St. Louis and achieved his doctorate degree. [2] He then used his education to help him get a position as Associate Professor of History and Assistant to the President at Central Washington University.[3]

In 1973, UW-Center Rock County named the Walterman Dean, succeeding Dean George Condon. [4] Upon his arrival, Dean Walterman quickly settled into the campus culture and communicated his desire to build a stronger presence in the community and expand the opportunities that the university had for non-traditional students. Walterman said, “We should do all we can for as many as possible, but still maintain the status of an educational institution for basic college instruction.[5] In April of 1974, the Vets for Vets Club honored Dean Walterman and other veterans with the “First Annual Beer and Brat Day”. The event raised funds for the club and included a performance by the Jazz Ensemble, frisbee contests, and hoop-rolling.[6]

Walterman was a major player in the development of campus facilities. The county denied initial requests for funding to help grow campus facilities. Walterman understood that improved campus facilities would improve the experience of students and could improve campus enrollment.[7] In 1978, Walterman’s advocacy proved successful and plans to build a gymnasium and fine arts building began building steam.[8] On February 14, 1980, the Rock County Board approved $2.6 million to fund the new buildings.[9]

In 1990, Walterman accepted a position at UW-Whitewater as the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. At Whitewater, Walterman would develop projects, create and review courses, update the course catalog, and serve on the campus space committee.[10] In his parting remarks, Walterman disclosed his appreciation for the UW-Rock County Center saying, “This place is a jewel of great value, and comparatively few people recognize that.”[11] Walterman spent five years at UW-Whitewater, then retired in 1995.[12] UW-Whitewater President, H. Gaylon Greenhill exclaimed, “I would describe Dr. Walterman as an extremely conscientious and hard-working individual. He is a professional who always expends the necessary time and effort to get a job done and to be certain that it is done well.”[13] He was nominated for the rank of Associate Vice Chancellor Emeritus, upon his retirement.[14]

Dr. Thomas Walterman’s dedication to accessibility paved the way for UW-Rock County and his awareness of the needs of students solidified his significance to UW-Whitewater. Walterman serves as an early example of the collaborative relationship between UW-Whitewater and UW-Rock County and his impact lives on throughout both campuses.  

[1] Rebecca Woosley, “Dean leaving ‘life on the lightning rod”, Janesville Gazette, August 31, 1990, 1.

[2] Ibid, 1.

[3] “Dean Walterman Arrives Today”, The Matrix, September 13, 1973, 1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34666582

[4] Ibid, 1.

[5] “Dean Wants Student Feedback”, The Matrix, February 7, 1974, 4. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34666590

[6] “Sunshine Welcomed with Beer and Brats”, The Matrix, April 25, 1974, 6. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34666595

[7] Mark Lindrin, “Enrollment drop delays expansion”, The Matrix, November 5, 1976, 6. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34666620

[8] F.M. Roach, “”Very Much Alive”, The Matrix, November 13, 1978, 1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34666635

[9] Pat Soeder, “Building Project Carries”, The Matrix, February 25, 1980, 1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34666643

[10] “Dean leaving ‘life on the lightning rod’”, 1.

[11] Ibid, 1.

[12] Anna Marie Lux, “Brave in battle: Book chronicles duty, danger, death for county’s Civil War soldiers”, The Janesville Gazette, March 10, 2002, 1.

[13] H. Gaylon Greenhill to UW-Whitewater, memorandum, May 5, 1995, “Dr. Thomas Walterman”.

[14] Faculty Senate, “Resolution”, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, May 5, 1995.

Written by Madeline Church

Oliver Cromwell Arey, born in 1817 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, was named after 17th-century English Puritan Oliver Cromwell.  From the ages of 16 to 21, Arey worked as a merchant sailor before receiving his degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York. After receiving his education, Arey served as the principal of two New York Normal Schools, located in Brockport and Albany respectively.[1]

In 1868, Oliver Arey became the first President of the Whitewater Normal School. When the Normal School opened in 1868, the school consisted of nine faculty members and forty-eight students [3]. Arey served not only as president, but also as a professor of mental and moral philosophy and theory and practice of teaching. President Arey, who had a strong dedication to living earnestly and “socially correct” behavior, decided that students would be “evaluated on the basis of character, integrity, and manners as well as on classroom academic performance.”[4] As President, Arey oversaw the first-ever Whitewater Normal School commencement ceremony in 1870. The ceremony, held in the Universalist Church in Whitewater, located on the corner of Center and Prairie Streets, recognized the first six graduates of the Whitewater Normal School.[5]      

During his tenure, Arey introduced “Student’s Day.” Student’s Day was an event held once each semester. On this day, faculty and staff were absent from school, leaving the students to be appointed by each other as “President and Faculty, who would at once take up the regular duties of the day and carry them seriously and successfully through to the close.”[6] The faculty and staff gave students no warning as to when this day would occur each term as a means to test their morals and abilities.  

Arey left the Whitewater Normal School in 1876 to return to New York before becoming President of the Cleveland City Normal School in 1879.[8] Arey had a strong impact on the university here at Whitewater. Arey Residence Hall was built in 1963 and originally known as Carlson Hall. When the Carlson Business and Economics Building opened in 1971, the residence hall was re-named in honor of our first president. The residence hall continues to be in use today, housing up to 197 students and is located on the west side of campus.[9]

President Arey was last in Whitewater in 1904, three years before his death, to visit the graves of his two daughters who passed away while living here. Arey spent the remainder of his life in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.[10]

[1] Richard C. Haney, Campus Cornerstones: University of Wisconsin Whitewater Biographical Sketches of the People Whom Buildings & Facilities are Named (Whitewater: University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 1997), 8-9.

[2] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 8.

[3] “1868: Old Main is Completed,” Sesquicentennial: Historical Timeline, https://www.uww.edu/150/timeline.

[4] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 8-9.

[5] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 8-9.

[6] Albert Salisbury, ed., Historical Sketches of the First Quarter-Century of the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin, with a Catalogue of its Graduates and a Record of their Work: 1868-1893 (Madison: Tracy, Gibbs & C0., 1893), 7.

[7] “Arey Hall,” University of Wisconsin – Whitewater – Housing, https://www.uww.edu/residencehalls/hall-tours/arey.

[8] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 8-9.

[9] “Arey Hall,” University of Wisconsin – Whitewater – Housing, https://www.uww.edu/residencehalls/hall-tours/arey.

[10] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 8-9.

This was written by Jacob Ober

On September 11, 1970, UW-Whitewater (then Wisconsin State University-Whitewater), a five-year-long process of planning and constructing a new stadium, was completed. The university dedicated the new stadium as Warhawk Stadium (now Perkins Stadium). The event was a sight to behold, even featuring one of the most famous American musical acts at the time, Neil Diamond. Campus christened the stadium with a football game the following day, a 35-10 Whitewater loss to Texas Trinity. Despite the loss, head coach Forrest Perkins, whom the stadium would later be re-named after, said, “This is the dream that all of us have waited for. I want to express my thanks to the thousands who have helped, and I know that they are proud and will remember this day for many, many years.”[1]

The planning process began on November 2, 1965, when the Whitewater State University Student Council passed a resolution to support a fundraising drive for a new stadium. The official stadium fund drive began on October 1, 1966, led by drive chairman Forrest Perkins, also the head coach of the football team at the time. After three years of planning and fundraising, the stadium received bids totaling 1.2 million US dollars on May 8, 1969, and the Building Commission gave final approval on May 12 of that same year. [3] Construction was completed in Summer 1970, and campus held the dedication on September 11 of that fall semester. The new stadium was to seat up to 14,000 fans and feature a press box. 

The stadium dedication ceremony was held on September 10, 1970, and featured music artist Neil Diamond. Diamond, a New York native, had been on the scene throughout the 1960s, having achieved top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 by 1970 that included “Cherry, Cherry,” “Sweet Caroline,” and “Holly Holy.”[5] The dedication concert was a big hit, as 7,000 people turned out to see the budding star perform. According to those who attended, Diamond “did as much moving around on stage as any musical performer ever did” and “showed all the charisma necessary to hold the attention of such a large gathering under anything but ideal conditions.”[6]

  [1] “Costley is ‘Costly’ in Warhawk 35-10 Dedication Game Loss to Texas Trinity,” The Whitewater Register, September 10, 1970.

[2] UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center.

[3] “Plans for Stadium Started in 1965,” The Whitewater Register, September 10, 1970.

[4] UW-Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center.

[5] “Neil Diamond Chart History,” Billboard Hot 100, accessed November 2, 2023.

[6] Dale Reich, “Stadium Dedication Features Diamond,” The Royal Purple, September 15, 1970.