This past July, the University of Wisconsin kicked off celebrations for its 175th anniversary with festivities at the Memorial Union for years of achievements, traditions and the legacy of the Wisconsin Idea.

Though the official anniversary was celebrated July 26 with a Memorial Union Summer Bash, UW will celebrate through the fall with campus events, including open viewing nights at Washburn Observatory Sept. 13, 20 and 27, a film screening of the documentary “Mau” Sept. 27 and the 175th Anniversary Gala Oct. 27.

Over the past 175 years, UW has played a role in a variety of historical events including the selection of the Badger mascot as a reference to the state’s nickname, Founders Day — the first gathering of the inaugural class — and former UW President Charles R. Van Hise’s 1905 speech which popularized the Wisconsin Idea. 

Though Van Hise never said “Wisconsin Idea,” his speech conveyed the notion of a university working beyond the walls of campus and toward the common good of the entire state of Wisconsin.  

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Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Marketing Tricia Nolan said Van Hise had an influential role in shaping education at UW.

“A lot of universities look to us and talk about us as being one of the first places that really articulated that and was able to say the work we do here is not just for people at UW, it’s really for the benefit of the state of Wisconsin,” Nolan said.

But the 175th anniversary celebration also comes with acknowledging UW’s complicated history, Nolan said. The 2022 “Sifting and Reckoning” exhibit at The Chazen Museum of Art highlighted UW’s history of exclusion and the community’s responses of resistance.

The 175th anniversary timeline recognizes much of this history, including significant scientific achievements, critical moments of social unrest and students building community through the creation of various campus cultural centers.

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While Nolan is unsure what the future will look like, she hopes UW will continue to push the Wisconsin Idea forward.

“I think we can see we’re going to continue to be a place where people are really inspired and driven to make life better, to really focus on the teaching and the research and the learning that happens here,” Nolan said.