Before the opening of UW-Rock County in 1966, there had yet to be an access point for higher education in the Janesville area. The lack of access to higher education in Rock County created interest from the State Coordinating Committee for Higher Education (CCHE) in bringing university center schools and branch campuses to the area.[1]
In March of 1963, the CCHE submitted a report that identified Rock County as one of six new campuses developed between 1965-69.[2] Ideally, this would put a two-year or four-year university within driving distance of all Wisconsin residents looking for education. Tension rose specifically regarding the UW Center and State College branch campuses, owing to the State Colleges’ belief that any campus closer to a state college than it was to Madison should be run by the State Colleges. The Rock County campus was a prime example, as the Whitewater State School resided only 19 miles northeast of Janesville. Officials started compiling potential building sites once the campus was approved. Initially, officials proposed three possible campus locations in the Janesville area and three in the Beloit area. Janesville ultimately had the edge for a few reasons. Janesville’s site would serve a broader area of Wisconsin than Beloit. The city had adequate sewer and water systems to incorporate into the campus and had a better connection to the highway.[3] The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents would ultimately select a site in Janesville.
After selecting the site, the administration selected Knodle-Rose & Associates Architects to design the new university. Campus chose Knodle-Rose because of its reputation for completing projects quickly, which was especially important given the quick turnaround of the two-year project timeline.[4] In 1965, original plans for the campus were approved, with an estimated cost of about $1,050,000. These plans included an administrative building, an instructional building, and an athletic building. However, the administrators pushed back building the athletic facility to save $350,000 from the project budget. Construction of the administrative and instructional building began on October 6, 1965. The buildings could accommodate 500 students, and campus officials quickly noted that at the rate of Janesville’s growth, they would need to promptly consider facilities that would meet enrollment needs beyond that amount.[5]
In the first phase of selecting campus administration, Charles Miller was named Dean of the new Rock County Center. Miller had experience working with Center campuses after working at the Marathon County Center in Wausau, Wisconsin.[6] During the organization of the new Center, Miller emphasized the function of the centers as an opportunity for research, public relations, and teaching.[7] Other original campus staff of the new center school included student advisor Gerald Henry, librarian, Gary Lenox, four faculty with Ph.D.’s, five instructors with a master’s, and a facilities staff. Campus officially opened on September 6, 1966, to approximately 250 students.
[1] Wisconsin State Journal, October 11, 1963, in Rock County 1964-1968 scrapbook, University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Area Research Center, Andersen Library, Whitewater, WI.
[2] Jerry L. Bower, The University of Wisconsin Colleges 1919-1997, (New Past Press, Inc.: Friendship, WI, 2002), 77.
[3] Janesville Daily Gazette, November 16, 1964, in Rock County 1964-1968 scrapbook University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Area Research Center, Andersen Library, Whitewater, WI.
[4] Janesville Daily Gazette, December 14, 1964, in Rock County 1964-1968 scrapbook University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Area Research Center, Andersen Library, Whitewater, WI.
[5] Janesville Gazette, September 2, 1966, in Rock County 1964-1968 scrapbook University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Area Research Center, Andersen Library, Whitewater, WI.
[6] Beloit Daily News, September 11, 1965, in Rock County 1964-1968 scrapbook University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Area Research Center, Andersen Library, Whitewater, WI.
[7] Evansville Review, November 4, 1965, in Rock County 1964-68 scrapbook University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Area Research Center, Andersen Library, Whitewater, WI.