Warhawk Almanac: Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a significant poet in the literary scene who made her mark in different mediums. She was born Margeurite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4th, 1928 and died on May 28th, 2014 in North Carolina at age 86.[1] Her career involved several different pathways, including those of a civil rights activist, author, poet, historian, playwright, singer, dancer, actress, composer, director and producer. She broke some barriers by being the first African American woman to create a screenplay for a pivotal movie and the first female inaugural poet in the United States.[2] Angelou is known the most for her autobiographical books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which was a New York Times bestseller for two years. Her literary works are known to have made a crucial impact on society by providing more diversity to literature and theater. [3] In addition to these accomplishments, Maya Angelou also was the first black woman allowed to drive a cable car in San Francisco, spoke six languages, and edited the Arab Observer. She also wrote two cookbooks and had her own line of Hallmark Greeting Cards.[4]

Maya Angelou visited the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Rock County in Janesville on February 12th, 1985, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kirk Denmark Theatre.[1] She discussed a plethora of topics, including racism and equality, family and lineage, the human condition, and others. One of the most profound, insightful things she said was this: “If your great-great-great grandmother could see you now, she would know you are the reason she left Ireland. You are the reason she slept in slave ships. You are the reason she stayed at Ellis Island and had her name changed to something indescribable.” [2] She also remarked that “There’s a world of difference between being trained and educated. If you are intoxicated with the idea of being educated, you have a lifelong course ahead of you. Take advantage of this institution.” [3]

Photo Credit: The New York Times 

 

 

Today, Maya Angelou has cemented her place in countless cultural venues, including poetry, politics, and others. She is a reminder to all of us that even when a person is going through dark times, there is a psychological, cerebral strength within all of us that can be accessed and used to find our strongest human capabilities. 
 

Photo Credit: Biography.com

[1] Anna Marie Lux, “Wearing a mask kept race alive, black speaker says,” Janesville Gazette, no.154 (February 1985): 1. 

[2] Anna Marie Lux, “Wearing a mask kept race alive, black speaker says,” Janesville Gazette, no.154 (February 1985): 1. 

 

[3] Anna Marie Lux, “Wearing a mask kept race alive, black speaker says,” Janesville Gazette, no.154 (February 1985): 1. 

 

 


[1] “Maya Angelou,” Poets Organization, accessed January 15th, 2025, https://poets.org/poet/maya-angelou

[2] “Maya Angelou,” Poets Organization, accessed January 15th, 2025, https://poets.org/poet/maya-angelou

 

[3] “Maya Angelou,” National Women’s Hall of Fame, accessed January 15th, 2025, https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/maya-angelou/

 

[4] “10 Facts About Maya Angelou,” Mental Floss, accessed January 15th, 2025, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/535135/facts-about-maya-angelou

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Warhawk Almanac: Holly Wilson

Holly Wilson is an accomplished author and professor of creative writing. She has been an associate professor in the literature, writing and film department for thirteen years, making a name for herself both as a writer and as a well-liked and respected professor. 

Holly went to college at Wichita State University and got her Master’s of Fine Arts at Wichita State. After she got her MFA, she became a Kingsbury Fellow at Florida State University, where she got her doctorate in creative writing.[1] 

Holly began her writing career by publishing in various literary magazines, such as Narrative, Redivider, Northwest Review, Short Story, New Stories from The South, etc. 

Cover design by Eli Mock

                                                                                Interview with Holly Wilson 

As a writer, I frequently look to other writers to glean more information and expand my knowledge base of the craft. Being able to to learn from other writers is one of the most important tools in a writer’s kits. I emailed my former creative writing professor, Holly Wilson, to see what I could discover about her identity as a writer and what her writing process is. I include in this post a few of the questions and answers from the interview. 

 Q. How do you approach overcoming writer’s block? 

  A. The only thing that works for me is 1) reading more, and 2) just writing through it. If you keep your butt in the chair, eventually something will show up.

Q.  What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about writing?

A. Write the sort of book that can only exist because you exist. 

Q. What advice would you give someone trying to get published for the first time? 

A. Read as much as possible, don’t send your work out until it’s as good as you can possibly make it, and learn to love rejection.

Q. Were there any particular moments or milestones that solidified your confidence as a writer?

A. Nothing really hits quite like walking into a random bookstore and seeing your book on display for the first time. I still feel like an imposter most days, but that moment for sure helped. 

Q. Who were your biggest influences as a writer? 

A. Too many influences to name, but Mark Richard has been a very important writer to me. His prose was a revelation when I first encountered him. His short stories and novel Fishboy gave me permission to do all sorts of things.

 

                                                                    Reviews

For Holly Wilson’s debut novel, Kittentits, there are several reviews that praise her distinctive writing. In one, the reviewer notes, “Wilson demonstrates exceptional artistry with the supporting characters, capturing the fundamental experiences of trust, friendship, love and loss.”[2] In another, a reviewer says that ‘Kittentits’ by Holly Wilson is a whimsical and provocative exploration of identity, femininity, and the intersection of humor and vulnerability.”[3]

If you are interested in reading a book that is absurdist and outside of your traditional perspectives, I would recommend you read Kittentits by Holly Wilson as a challenge to your sensibilities and perspective of the world around you. 

 

 

Photo Credit: Sharon Vanorny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


[1] “About,” Wilson Holly, accessed December 10th, 2024,

 https://www.wilsonholly.com/

[2] “Kittentits,” Bookpage, accessed December 10th, 2024,

https://www.bookpage.com/reviews/kittentits-holly-wilson-book-review/

[3] “Member Reviews,” Net Gallery, accessed December 10th, 2024, 

https://www.netgalley.com/book/312271/reviews

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Title of Book (Warhawks Recommend)

Title Book Cover

Warhawk Recommender: Name, Affiliation

Text of recommendation goes here.

Title: Subtitle is Long
by Author Name
Book Location, Floor
HF5548.8 .G7185 2018

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Warhawk Almanac: Eva Kinney Griffith

Eva Kinney Griffith was an accomplished, ambitious woman who was part of the first class here at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Born in Whitewater in 1852, Eva attended the Whitewater State Normal School from 1868-1871, aspiring to be a teacher. [1]

After she graduated, Eva began her extraordinary working life by teaching one semester at the Elkhorn High School and two semesters in Cold Spring, Wisconsin. She took a year off of teaching after that to pursue a career in journalism in Chicago. She temporarily returned to teaching from 1879 to 1880 in Hays City, Kansas. [2]

After finishing teaching in Kansas, Eva came back to Wisconsin and got involved in the temperance movement in 1883, joining the Wisconsin Women’s Temperance Union and participating as both a speaker and administrator for seven years. The Women’s Temperance Union was founded on December 15th, 1873, when a Boston doctor named Dr. Dio Lewis had a lecture in New York. After the lecture, he was invited to come to a Sunday evening church service and talk about temperance. After the church service, in which the doctor delivered a passionate speech on temperance, Rev. Lester Williams asked the women at the church to hold a meeting. Fifty women responded, prepared to take action, signifying the beginning of the important organization.[3] For Eva Kinney Griffith, she became known as the “Wisconsin Chalk Talker” for her inspiring illustrated lectures.[4] While she was actively involved in the temperance movement, she also became a writer, publishing two books: A Women’s Evangel (Chicago, 1892), and Chalk Talk Handbook (1887). As well as the books she wrote, she also wrote and published temperance lessons and poems in journals such as the Temperance Banner and the Union Signal. She also wrote and published in True Ideal, a journal that focused on purity and faith studies. 

After her work as a temperance activist, she decided to move back to Chicago in 1891 and become a journalist again. She first became a special writer for the Daily News-Record, and then an editor on the Chicago Times. Through the Chicago Times, she publicly showcased her opinions on the temperance of alcohol and tobacco. 

Eva Kinney Griffith 

Eva also displayed advanced views on different topics for a woman living during the late 1800’s. One of the observations she made in The Author was that “as alcohol is a brain poison and nicotine, the active principle of tobacco, is a nerve poison, no writer who desires long life or aims for the highest in his work should indulge even moderately in the use of liquor and tobacco.” Along the same lines, she mentioned that “the unused organ is certain to lose its strength and fall an easy prey to disease.” [5]

Eva Kinney Griffith will be remembered as a trailblazer and an inspiration to women that, with perseverance, dedication, and a strong belief in yourself, you are capable of doing nearly anything that you set your sights on. 

 


[1] Salisbury, Albert, Historical Sketches of the First Quarter-Century of the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin (Madison: Tracy, Gibbs and Co., 1893), 147.

[2] Salisbury, Albert, Historical Sketches of the First Quarter-Century of the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin (Madison: Tracy, Gibbs and Co., 1893), 147.

[3] “History of the WCTU,” WTCU, accessed November 19th, 2024, https://www.wctu.org/history

[4] Logan, John A, The Part Taken By Women in American History (Wilmington: The Perry-Nalle publishing co,1912), 677.

[5] Eva Kinney Griffith, “Hygiene for Writers”, The Author 3, no.1 (January 1891): 1-2. 

 

 

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Warhawk Almanac: Homecoming 1974

Written by Jacob Ober

As we start Homecoming Week, let’s look back at how the campus celebrated 50 years ago. The theme for 1974’s homecoming was “New Images,” reflecting the university’s changing nature as it welcomed a new chancellor, increased enrollment, and a championship football team.[1] The festivities at Homecoming ’74 were highlighted by the nationally renowned jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat and Tears making an appearance on Thursday night, performing hit songs such as “You Make Me So Very Happy” and “Spinning Wheel,”[2] both of which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969,[3] as well as songs off their new album “Mirror Images,” reflecting the “new images” theme of homecoming. Soft-rock band Heartsfield also made an appearance, providing a mellow contrast to the more upbeat style of Blood, Sweat & Tears. 

The Homecoming Parade kicked off Saturday’s festivities. The organizing committee thought it to be the largest Homecoming Parade to date. [4] The UW-Whitewater football team took the field that afternoon, facing off against UW-River Falls at Warhawk (Perkins) Stadium. The result was a resounding 28-14 victory, highlighted by wide receiver Roger Gename’s 11 receptions, setting a new school record at the time.[5] 

Students riding on top of a tank in the Homecoming Parade
Students take a ride on top of a tank during the Homecoming Parade [6]

Other festivities throughout the week included a bonfire, bed rally, a dance, and the annual “Yell Like Hell” contest.[7] In congruence with the official homecoming celebrations, the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho sponsored the annual “Black Homecoming” that featured a dance in the Badger Commons on Saturday. Karen Jarrart, basileus of the Sigma Gamma Rho chapter in Whitewater, was quoted as saying that she “hopes everyone will attend the homecoming because this will benefit future events for all black students.”[8] 

King and Queen of Black Homecoming riding in a convertible in the Homecoming Parade
THe King and Queen of Black Homecoming wave to the camera [9]

By all accounts, Homecoming ’74 at UW-Whitewater proved to be a big success. Students expressed positive sentiments about the celebrations, and in the spirit of “New Images,” Homecoming ’74 “offered an image that reflected the varied interests and contrasts of the student body.”[10]

 


[1] 1975 Minneiska, UW Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 30. 

[2] Ibid, 32.

[3] Billboard Hot 100 (The week of April 12th, 1969) and Billboard Hot 100 (The week of July 19th, 1969). https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1969-04-12/ and https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1969-07-19/

[4] “Homecoming Festivities Set,” Royal Purple, October 2, 1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158398 

[5] Gary D’Amato, “Aerials teach Falcons,” Royal Purple, October 23, 1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158401 

[6] 1975 Minneiska, 32. 

[7] “Homecoming ’74: New Images, Schedule of Events,” Royal Purple , October 16,  1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158400 

[8] “Annual Homecoming ‘set’ by organization,” The Royal Purple, October 16,  1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158400 

[9] 1975 Minneiksa, 32.

[10] Ibid, 32.

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Warhawk Almanac: Virtual Campus History Tour Now Available

The UW-Whitewater Archives team has created a self-guided campus history tour. With the Homecoming 2024 festivities right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to reminisce about your days on campus and learn about campus history. You can access the virtual tour experience at this link: https://arcg.is/abmrf0. 

Whether you traveled to campus for Homecoming or would like to explore campus from the comfort of your home, this virtual tour is accessible to all. It allows you to explore campus on your own time and pace. The tour experience includes a brief timeline of the university’s history, a photo gallery of Old Main, and campus maps to guide your exploration. You can read about a location’s history and view historical photos by selecting a purple pin marker on the map. 

We would appreciate your feedback about the tour experience. Please fill out this short survey to let us know how we can continue to improve the experience. We hope you enjoy your exploration of UW-Whitewater’s history! 

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Warhawk Almanac: A Quaker Beginning

Written by Riley Smith

Today, the students and athletes at UW-Whitewater are fondly known as the Warhawks and are accompanied by a hawk mascot named Willie. Though, that was not always the case. Throughout the university’s early years, the student body had no real nickname or mascot to call their own. They did, however, have a school color- purple. “The Purple” was a common way to refer to school teams, whether athletic, for the football team, was referred to as “The Purple” in the 1934 Minneiska, the university’s yearbook, as well as other student organizations, such as the debate team.[1] Yet, as early as 1929, the football team also used the moniker of the “Quakers.”[2] As students were trying to determine a mascot or symbol that represented them, the Quakers won out as the unofficial school mascot. It would be used in reference to the school’s athletic teams for the next couple of decades. 

“Evolution of Willie the Warhawk”, Royal Purple (Whitewater, Wisconsin), November 19, 2014, 7. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026

 

Faculty Dames Directory, Whitewater, Wisconsin: Whitewater State Teachers College, 1957-1958. 
Baseball_quakers_nd., undated, still image, University of Wisconsin -Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin. 

Many stories exist as to how the name came to be. One story states that a traveling baseball team came to Whitewater to play a game and left their jerseys here, which had “The Quakers” printed on the back.[3] A variation of said story claims the baseball team was bankrupt and unable to pay for a hotel, so they left the aforementioned jerseys as a form of payment.[4] Another story is that a local team, named the Quakers, provided the jerseys.[5] Regardless of how the name came to be, the student body would come to accept it as their own. It was not long before a mascot, who represented the new Quaker identity, started showing up to parades and other athletic events. The mascot’s face also soon appeared on signs at sporting events and on the homes of students and fans. 

“Evolution of Willie the Warhawk”, Royal Purple (Whitewater, Wisconsin), November 19, 2014, 7. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026

Despite the new nickname and mascot’s popularity, the school did not officially recognize the symbol of the Quaker as a mascot. With growing dissatisfaction with the passive symbolism associated with Quakers, students and staff alike were interested in adopting a mascot that had a fighting spirit.[7] In the late 1950s, a contest was held in hopes of bringing upon a name the school could officially adopt.[8] Four students, August Revoy, Ron Hall, John Rabata, and William Jolly, came up with the name “Warhawks”.[9] The name was then officially approved by the school’s president at the time, Robert C. Williams.[10] While the student body is no longer known as the Quakers, both the name and mascot hold a unique place in UW-Whitewater’s history. 

 

 

[1] Vasna Brajkovic, “Evolution of Willie the Warhawk,” Royal Purple, November 19, 2014, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026; Minneiska, 1934, 93, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Archives & Area Research Center; “Purple Debate Team Wins from La Crosse,” Royal Purple, March 4, 1929, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32490933

[2] “Win in a Victory Over Platteville,” UW-Whitewater Scrapbook, 1927 – 1930, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35161232; “Historical Timeline,” University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 2018, https://www.uww.edu/150/timeline

[3] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” University Center Blog, February 12, 2018, https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/

[4] “What’s In a Name? President, 1918 Grad Solve Mystery of ‘Quaker’ Origin,” Royal Purple, February 11, 1958, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32716927

[5] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/; Vasna Brajkovic, “Evolution of Willie the Warhawk,” Royal Purple, November 19, 2014, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026

[6] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/

[7]From the Editor: ‘Quakers’ is Too Peaceful Say WSC Athletic Leaders,” Royal Purple, February 18, 1958, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32716928

[8]  “Contest to Replace ‘Quaker’ Announced by Royal Purple,” Royal Purple, February 25, 1958, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32716929

[9] Parker Olsen, “Did you know UW-W once had an Indigenous logo?,” Royal Purple, February 13, 2022, https://royalpurplenews.com/35380/sports/did-you-know-uww-had-a-indigenous-logo/

[10] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 111.


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Warhawk Almanac: Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium – Home of Warhawk Baseball

Written by Jacob Ober

Warhawk baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has a long and storied history, dating back to the 1870s with the organization of the first baseball club on campus.[1] It wasn’t until 1957 that the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) organized the first regular baseball season between the member schools.[2] Whitewater was a co-champion of that first season, tying with Eau Claire for the title.  

 

Since 1977, the UW-Whitewater baseball team has qualified for the Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament 25 times, advancing to the World Series eight times and coming away as World Series champions twice, in 2005 and 2014.[3] Through all the success of the baseball program at UW-Whitewater, they’ve called one place home: Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.

Aerial view of Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium
Aerial View of Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium. [4]

Prucha Field, built in 1957, coinciding with the beginning of the organized baseball program, is named after professor Rudolph “Rudy” W. Prucha, who taught physics at the university from 1932-1967.[5]  Prucha was a highly respected professor, earning the first Excellence in Teaching Award in 1932, and again in 1965 shortly before his retirement. In addition to teaching physics, Prucha also took an interest in the university’s athletics, serving as the faculty athletic representative during his tenure at Whitewater.[6] Following his retirement, the Rudolph W. Prucha Memorial Scholarship for Physics Education was established in his honor, given to students on an annual basis who are pursuing a career in physics education.[7]

Professor Prucha (right) demonstrating a physics principle to students.[8]

As the Warhawk baseball team gained prestige, Prucha Field required updates and improvements. During the tenure of James “Jim” B. Miller from 1987-2003, the stadium underwent major changes, adding new features such as batting cages, permanent dugouts, a press box, additional seating, and more.[9] During his sixteen years as UW-Whitewater’s head baseball coach, Miller and his Warhawk baseball team compiled a 416-226-4 record, making seven NCAA Division III appearances and one World Series appearance in 1989.[10] At the time of his retirement, Miller’s 416 wins were the most in program history, only surpassed by John Vodenlich, the current head baseball coach.[11] On May 7th, 2011, Prucha Field was renamed to Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium in honor of Miller’s success.[12]

James “Jim” B. Miller’s portrait in the UW-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame.[13] 

Today, Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium remains the home of Warhawk baseball. The stadium’s amenities have made it one of the premier venues in NCAA Division III baseball for it has served as the host of the NCAA Regional tournament nine times since 2004.[14] 
 


[1] M. Janette Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University – Whitewater, (Whitewater State University Foundation Inc., 1967), 49. 

[3] “Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics,  https://uwwsports.com/sports/2017/8/29/prucha-field.aspx.

[4] Ibid. 

[5] Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, 262.

[6] Ibid.

[7] “Scholarships and Awards Within UW-W Physics Department,” Department of Physics, Univeristy of Wisconsin – Whitewater, https://www.uww.edu/cls/departments/physics#scholarshipsandawards%23scholarships-and-awards

[8] Minneiska, 1958, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Archives & Area Research Center. 

[9] “Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics,  https://uwwsports.com/sports/2017/8/29/prucha-field.aspx.

[10] “Athletics Hall of Fame, Jim Miller,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/honors/athletics-hall-of-fame/jim-miller/245.

[11] “Baseball Coaching Records,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2024/4/1/baseball-coach-history.aspx.

[12] “James B. Miller Stadium Dedication,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, 8 April 2011, https://uwwsports.com/news/2011/4/8/BSB_0408112109.aspx.

[13]“Athletics Hall of Fame, Jim Miller,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/honors/athletics-hall-of-fame/jim-miller/245.

[14] “James B. Miller Stadium Dedication,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, 8 April 2011, https://uwwsports.com/news/2011/4/8/BSB_0408112109.aspx.

 

 


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Warhawk Almanac: 60th Anniversary: UW-Whitewater Issues First Graduate Degree

Written by Jacob Ober

Following the end of World War II, the United States experienced a population boom, and with it, an increase in enrollment at many higher-learning institutions, including UW-Whitewater. When the school was founded in 1868, just forty-eight students were enrolled, but by 1955, the number of students had increased to over 1,000. Due to the baby boom, a decade later, in 1965, over 6,000 students were in attendance.[1] During this time of rapid change and expansion, the first graduate school program was introduced in the summer of 1960. Thirty-two students first enrolled in the graduate program, and that number doubled to sixty-four in 1962.[2]

Photo of UW-Whitewater campus in the 1960s
An aerial view of campus in the 1960s, the decade in which the graduate studies program began.[3]

In August 1964, the university awarded its first-ever graduate degree, a master’s of science in teaching, to Alden Sidney Krumheuer.[4] A year later, in August 1965, eight more students were awarded master’s degrees. Due to the success of this new graduate studies program, in the Spring of 1966 three more master’s degrees were added to the program: a master of science in school business management, a master of arts in teaching, and a master of science in teaching with focus on elementary and junior high education. With these additions, the graduate studies program enrollment ballooned to 438 students in 1966.[5]

Photo of Helen Herbert filing her master's thesis at Andersen Library
Helen Herbert, second to left, has her master’s thesis filed in the archives at Anderson Library as part of the second class of graduate studies at Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, 1965.[6]

The addition of a graduate studies program and the awarding of its first degree in August 1964 signified a transition for the school and prompted a name change. Since 1951, the school had been known as Wisconsin State College – Whitewater, but with the addition of graduate studies, the school earned the title of university and changed its name to Wisconsin State University – Whitewater. Today, UW-Whitewater is one of thirteen main campuses in the UW System, all of which offer graduate studies programs. As of Spring 2024, 1,650 graduate students were enrolled at UW-Whitewater, over fifty times the number of graduate students enrolled in the first year of the program in 1960.[7]


[1] M. Janette Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, (Whitewater, WI: Whitewater State Foundation, Inc, 1967), 201.

[2] Ibid, 206.

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

[4] The Royal Purple, August 4, 1964, 4.

[5] Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, 226.

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

[7] “University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Enrollment Spring Semester, 10th Day Enrollment,” Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning, UW-Whitewater, April 2024, https://www.uww.edu/documents/ir/University%20Data/Enrollment/Spring%20Enrollment/Enrollment%20Spring%20-%20Enrollment%20Summary.pdf.

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Warhawk Almanac: The Quaker mascot

It was in 1914 when Herbert O. Hamilton, a member of the Normal School Board of Regents, helped gather 10,000 dollars for the Whitewater Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) to build its first athletics field in replacement of an old farm.[1] It was here that the university’s famed Warhawk athletic history began.

 

Today, the students and athletes at UW-Whitewater are fondly known as the Warhawks and are accompanied by a hawk-esque mascot named Willie. That was not always the case, however. After the athletics field was constructed, the student body had no real nickname or mascot to call their own. That is until the mid-1920s when the athletics teams began using the nickname “The Quakers.”[2] A couple of stories exist as to how the name came to be. The first is that a traveling baseball team from Canada came to Whitewater to play a game and left their jerseys here – which had The Quakers printed on the back – and the Normal School students used the jerseys for their games. The other story is that a local team provided the jerseys.[3] Regardless of how the name came to be, the student body accepted it quickly and lovingly. It was not long before a mascot, who represented the new Quaker identity, began showing up to parades and other spirit events. The mascot’s face also soon appeared on signs at sporting events and on the homes of students and fans. Furthermore, the football field was granted a new nickname, “Quaker Oatmeal Bowl”.[4] 

Despite the new nickname and mascot’s popularity, the school did not officially recognize them. In the late 1950s, a contest was held in hopes of bringing upon a name the school could officially adopt.[5] Four students, August Revoy, Ron Hall, John Rabata, and William Jolly, came up with the name “Warhawks.”[6] The name was then officially approved by the school’s president, Robert C. Williams.[7] While the student body is no longer known as “The Quakers,” both the name and mascot hold a special spot in UW-Whitewater’s history. 


[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), 55.

[2]Historical Timeline,” University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 2018, https://www.uww.edu/150/timeline

[3] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” University Center Blog, February 12, 2018, https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/

[4] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/

[5]  Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/

[6] Parker Olsen, “Did you know UW-W once had an Indigenous logo?,” Royal Purple, February 13, 2022, https://royalpurplenews.com/35380/sports/did-you-know-uww-had-a-indigenous-logo/

[7] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 111.

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