The person behind the building: Lowell Evan Noland

Professor Lowell Evan Noland is remembered for the impact he had on the lives of his students and the interdisciplinary genius he brought to his UW–Madison zoology classrooms.

Noland spoke French and German almost fluently and was a master of the English language. He wrote poetry and often read it to his students during his lectures.

Famous for his spur-of-the-moment chalk drawings and diagrams, Noland was a gifted artist. His impromptu sketches were always detailed and elegant.

Noland was deeply committed to underclassmen and introductory courses.

He taught a number of elementary courses but audited more to gain a firsthand understanding of what life was like as a new student.

Noland developed a novel biology course and history of zoology seminar in the Integrated Liberal Studies program.

Outside the classroom, he was a favorite among his colleagues. He was the first to take on small chores and organizational tasks for the zoology department or other committees he was involved in. He called these duties “collecting goat feathers.”

He was also the self-appointed zoology department historian. He chronicled the happenings of the department and distributed the newsletters to colleagues and former members of the faculty.

Noland was revered by another group of Madisonians.

The ducks on Lake Wingra could have been his biggest fans. He lugged burlap bags filled with seeds to the lake every day and fed the ducks regardless of how harsh the weather could be.

Noland died in January 1972. The Noland Zoology building was named for him in May of that year.