The Andersen Library Blog

            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.