The Andersen Library Blog

Construction of the Irvin L Young Auditorium at the University of Wisconsin -Whitewater began in 1991 but was not completed until 1993. The lengthy project was a significant endeavor that ended up costing around $9.3 million. However, this cost was covered by donations from the Irvin L. Young Foundation, fundraising efforts, and even a contribution from UW-W students. The result was a beautifully designed auditorium with enough space to hold up to 1,300 guests.[1] All that was left was for the shows to begin.

Although construction was completed earlier in the year, the Young Auditorium’s dedicatory season did not commence until the fall. The first event was held on September 20, 1993. On Monday night, UW-W Cultural Affairs presented “Sunday in the Park with George,” a Broadway musical based on Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” The play had two acts: one that depicted Seurat’s experience as he painted his well-known masterpiece and another, set in the future, that explored the more modern perspective of Seurat’s descendants.[2] Before the play, the university also introduced a new pre-show series. Titled “Dessert and…”, the pre-show events offered audience members a chance to arrive early and enjoy extra entertainment or lectures. Before the “Sunday in the Park with George” showing, UW-W professor and local artist Lawrence Harrison introduced Georges Seurat by giving a history of his life and work.[3] Overall, the art-focused play and pre-show event provided the perfect opening for the new auditorium’s first full season.

[1] “Young Auditorium Construction Lauded,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), February 25, 1993.

[2] Laurie Mersch, “Cultural Affairs Presents First Event in New Auditorium,” Royal Purple (Whitewater, WI.), September 15, 1993.

[3] “Sunday in the Park with George,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), September 9, 1993.

When students of the Whitewater Normal School returned for classes in September of 1907, they noticed a new addition to the campus layout. Earlier in the spring, President Salisbury posted an advertisement in the local newspaper inquiring about pioneer-era log houses in the area surrounding Whitewater.[1] Right before the school year began, President Salisbury found a suitable house and moved it to campus. The log house, donated by the Halverson family, was placed on the hill behind the Old Main building. Although Old Main may be gone, the old log cabin still sits on the same hill overlooking the University Center. The Halverson log house was moved to the Normal School to be protected and preserved while also serving as a museum of pioneer-life for Whitewater students and the local community. Work quickly began to fix any weaknesses in the building’s structure, which included installing a new roof.[2] As the semester continued, donations and participation from the community allowed for the addition of period-specific furniture and a working fireplace.[3] Finally, by December, the old log house was ready for more than just simple walk-throughs. The Normal School faculty hosted an event that included food, music, and even some pioneer appropriate costumes.[4]

[1] “Wanted, a Log House,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), Apr. 26, 1907.

[2] “That Log House,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), Sept. 6, 1907.

[3] “The Alumni,” Royal Purple (Whitewater, WI.), October, 1907.

[4] “The Alumni,” Royal Purple (Whitewater, WI.), December, 1907.

On August 17^th, 1876, the Whitewater Register published a series of letters that praised a man named William F. Phelps.[1] These letters were published only a short time after President Arey, the school’s first President, unexpectedly retired from his role in June.[2] Prior to the 17^th, the Normal School had announced their decision of hiring Professor Phelps to fill the role made available by President Arey. The letters showed that Professor Phelps had a stunning reputation and seemed like the perfect candidate to fill the school’s recently vacated position. Phelps had previous experience in the presidential role at the Normal schools in Winona, Minnesota, and Trenton, New Jersey.[3] Everything seemed to be falling into place for President Phelps, but things quickly changed.

Unfortunately for Phelps, the Board of Regents would call for his resignation before he could even complete his second year as acting president.[4] The strong attitude and fierce determination that landed Phelps the job also ultimately lead to his removal. After only one year as president, many of the students became dissatisfied with the way Phelps managed the school. They grew so dissatisfied that the entire junior class of 1876-1877, as well as some underclassmen, decided not to return to Whitewater the next year. Fortunately, long-time members of the faculty were able to convince the students to stay.[5] However, the issues did not stop there.

By January of 1878, more issues had arisen. First, the students began to again consider leaving the school for other opportunities. Then the faculty began to express concern with Phelps’ style of administration. Eventually, the teachers and staff began looking for new openings or asking for transfers to other institutions. Thus, the Board of Regents was forced to act. On January 30^th, the board passed a resolution that called for all ties to be cut with President Phelps at the conclusion of the school year.[6] However, the Normal School quickly recovered and was ready to start anew under the leadership of J.W. Stearns.[7] Fortunately, the school returned to normal and continued to grow into the University seen today.

[1] “President Phelps,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), August 17, 1876.

[2] Albert Salisbury, 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 & Co, 1893) https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AFMLJNVST2GMHT85/pages/A4Y246BY6D5TQG9D.

[3] “New President of Whitewater Normal School,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), August 10, 1876.

[4] Albert Salisbury, 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 & Co, 1893) https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AFMLJNVST2GMHT85/pages/A4Y246BY6D5TQG9D.

[5] “Regent Chandler Reviews the Normal School Case,” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.), August 8, 1878.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

            The arts have a way of bringing people together. This was certainly true for the cast of the 1968 production of “The Irregular Verb to Love,” performed at the University of Wisconsin Center – Rock County (now UW- Whitewater at Rock County) on August 2^nd and 3^rd. Having only just opened two years prior, this play was Rock County’s first collaboration with local community theatre. As a result, the cast for this piece was composed of theatre enthusiasts of all ages.

            “The Irregular Verb to Love” is an English comedy play written by Hugh and Margaret Williams. The plot of the play focuses on one mother’s meddling in the lives of her family.[1] The play’s main characters are Hedda Rankin, her husband Felix, and their children Andrew and Lucy. In the Rock County performance, Hedda and Felix Rankin were played by local community members Dawn Stephenson and Charles Niles. Both actors had ties to the Janesville Little Theatre (JLT). Stephenson had participated in many JLT shows, while Niles was the company’s director. The role of Andrew Rankin was performed by Janesville High-School theatre alum Terry Parr, and Lucy was portrayed by Eva Pawelek, a Rock County student. The rest of the cast was filled out by Rock County students Nancy George and John Miller and local community members Elsie Van Tassell and Georgia Dietz.[2]

            Despite the cast’s varying levels of experience, “The Irregular Verb to Love” received raving reviews. In her review “Rock County Players Dissect Love Deftly,” Hermione Knapp praised all aspects of the play. According to Knapp, the casting choices perfectly fulfilled each role and brought the play to life. Director Judith Forusz kept the play fast-paced and exciting, even as the plot relied more on conversation than action. Furthermore, Knapp only had compliments for the play’s set, saying Gary Lennox’s design “delighted the eye.”[3] Overall the play was a successful production that highlighted the beauties of community collaboration.

[1] Hermione Knapp, “Rock County Players Dissect Love Deftly,” Janesville Gazette (Janesville, WI.), August 3, 1968.

[2] “First Campus-Community Play Aug. 2 and 3,” Clinton Topper (Clinton, WI.), July 25, 1968

[3] Hermione Knapp, “Rock County Players Dissect Love Deftly,” Janesville Gazette (Janesville, WI.), August 3, 1968.

            UW-Whitewater has hosted its fair share of important or popular speakers and guests. President John F. Kennedy made Whitewater a stop on his campaign trail prior to his election, and, rumor has it, Adam Sandler once gave a comedy show in the Down Under. However, neither of these guests hold quite the same importance, influence, and reputation as Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

            On July 25^th 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Wisconsin State University – Whitewater ( now University of Wisconsin – Whitewater) as part of a summer lecture and concert series. For the series, Dr. King spoke on “The Future of Integration” in a free lecture that was open to the public. Summer classes were even rearranged so that every student had the opportunity to attend.[1] The event drew a large crowd of university students, Whitewater citizens, and community members from the surrounding areas, leaving only standing room in the back of the auditorium. According to an article in the Whitewater Register, Dr. King’s eloquent way of speaking captivated the audience and often left the crowd in a hushed silence. His speech focused on the importance of the continuation of nonviolent protests and resistance. According to Dr. King, at the time of the event, 13 out of the 17 southern states that were completely segregated in 1954 had integrated and one more was to be integrated in the coming months. King celebrated this progress but stressed that there was much more to be done before integration and equal rights were recognized throughout America. After his speech, Dr. King met with the public and answered questions backstage. [2] Overall, the lecture was a successful addition to the summer lecture series and Whitewater was fortunate to host such an important historical figure.

[1] “Martin Luther King Speaks this Morning,” Royal Purple (Whitewater, WI.) July 25^th, 1961.

[2] “College Auditorium is Filled as Integration Leader Speaks.” Whitewater Register (Whitewater, WI.) July 27, 1961.

The post-secondary school in Whitewater has undergone many evolutions. In its origins as a normal school, Whitewater’s curriculum originally revolved around training teachers and educators. Slowly the school added more fields of study such as Commercial (Business) Education. By 1951, the State Teachers College, Whitewater (now UW-Whitewater) had officially moved forward from its education training focus and, as a result, the school received a new name.            

On July 10^th, 1951, the Board of Regents of Normal Schools met in the Capitol Building for a regularly scheduled meeting. In this meeting, the board voted on many important resolutions. The last resolution, Resolution 654, designated that all the schools represented by the board would become Wisconsin State Colleges. The schools included were: Eau Claire, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Superior, and, most importantly, Whitewater.[1] With this resolution, the new Wisconsin State College – Whitewater could choose to offer Liberal Arts degrees to its students, but that did not mean the college was going to abandon its teacher training programs. President Williams assured that the college would not only keep the teacher training programs, but work to make them stronger.[2] In fact, according to enrollment records, a Liberal Arts program was not offered to students until 1953. In its first semester, only 108 out of 726 students who enrolled chose to pursue a Liberal Arts degree.[3] Although the 654^th resolution widened Whitewater’s capabilities by changing its name, it did not change the school’s dedication to producing quality educators.

[1] Board of Regents of Normal Schools, Proceedings of the Board of Regents of Normal Schools, July 10, 1951, University Archives, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Whitewater, WI.

[2] “New Building, New Degree, New Name, In Store for Whitewater College,” Summer School     Bulletin (Whitewater, WI), July 17. 1961.

[3] Whitewater State College, Enrollment Records, 1953, Provost box 17, University Archives, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Whitewater, WI.