UW-Madison to receive class gift honoring the Wisconsin Idea

UW-Madison’s long tradition of service to the state is being celebrated with a new plaque honoring the Wisconsin Idea, a gift from the Class of 2012 that will be dedicated by class officers and university officials on Wednesday, May 9.

The Wisconsin Idea, often articulated as “the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state,” reflects the belief that UW–Madison teaching, research, outreach and public service should provide benefits beyond the classroom. First applied to the relationship between the university and the people of Wisconsin, it is now generally acknowledged to be national and global in scope.

The cast bronze plaque features a phrase attributed to UW President Charles Van Hise: “I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every home in the state.” It will be affixed to a large boulder in a prominent location on Bascom Hill, apropos of Van Hise’s scholarship in the field of geology.

“At a time when public higher education is rapidly changing and ever more critical to America’s future, we must reinvent the Wisconsin Idea for the 21st century,” says Steven Olikara, senior class president. “The class officers hope this plaque will inspire future generations of Badgers to lead, innovate, and serve others.”

The dedication ceremony will be held at the Abraham Lincoln statue in front of Bascom Hall at 10:15 a.m. Interim Chancellor David Ward and others will deliver brief remarks.

Actual installation of the plaque, which will be mounted on a boulder and placed on the lawn between Bascom Hall and North Hall, will occur this summer.

The gift comes as a capstone to UW–Madison’s observance of the Year of the Wisconsin Idea. It complements the recently announced Wisconsin Idea Scholarship as the senior class gifts to campus.