Free cake to celebrate UW-Madison’s 160th birthday

This year, the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) is feeding students’ minds as well as their bodies during the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s birthday celebration.

UW-Madison held its first day of classes on Feb. 5, 1849, and since 1924, alumni across the country have commemorated this occasion at Founders’ Day events hosted by local WAA chapters. This Thursday (Feb. 5), current students can get a taste of those celebrations with free cake and a free talk.

WAA and University Housing invite all UW–Madison students to enjoy a free piece of birthday cake in Gordon Commons or Liz Waters dining halls beginning at noon until it’s gone.

Faculty, staff and students can also join Jim Baughman, professor and chair of the UW–Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, for cake and a unique exploration into the relationship between the press and politics since 1960. His talk will be at 3 p.m. in Memorial Union’s Tripp Commons. If you would like to attend this free lecture, please RSVP to Sarah Schutt.

“We are excited to again invite students to be part of the time-honored tradition of Founders’ Day,” says WAA President and CEO Paula Bonner, “and join the more than 50 chapters nationwide who are celebrating their Badger heritage this spring.”

The very first Founders’ Day event was held in 1924 at UW–Madison’s Stock Pavilion. The 6,000 people who celebrated got a piece of a huge white cake made from three-quarters of a barrel of flour, 150 pounds of sugar, 480 eggs, 40 pounds of butter, and 32 quarts of milk. This year’s cake won’t be quite as large, but students who show up will get a slice.

Participation and membership in WAA and its chapters are open to all alumni, students and friends of UW–Madison.

Founded in 1861, WAA offers UW alumni and friends a wide variety of services, including the award-winning On Wisconsin and Badger Insider magazines, student programs and scholarships, career services and lifelong learning events.