In a celebration taking place Tuesday evening, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced its Forward Campaign raised $77.6 million toward its cause, exceeding the original goal to earn $77 million.

Tuesday evening, donors and members of the Wisconsin Historical Society gathered to commemorate their first and largest campaign’s achievement of their goal.

According to Campaign Chair Craig Culver, the Forward Campaign initiative started about six years ago with a primary goal of restoring the Library Reading Room on the second floor of the Historical Society building, located in Library Mall.

Patty Franson, a member of the campaign, described the renovated Reading Room as “evoking history but still modernized.”

The campaign funding went toward restoring the room to its former beauty by bringing back the antique-style lamps and tinted skylights while modernizing the Reading Room with electricity access and Internet at every table, according to the campaign.

“[The Reading room] is a stellar resource for us,” Franson said. “It helps Wisconsin by creating a link between Wisconsin’s past identity and the future.”

Other aspects of the campaign included research with University of Wisconsin chemistry professors to improve old films and the rebuilding of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s website, according to the campaign.

Paul Hodges, a member of the campaign, said it was necessary for the Historical Society to update its website because currently more people connect with it via Internet.

One feature Hodges and fellow campaign member Amy Wyatt pointed out was how citizens now have access to pictures and locations of 130,000 restored buildings for architectural drawing purposes, with 200,000.

Visitors to the site can also search for birth and death records as well as marriage documents, Hodges added.

Wisconsin Historical Society Director Ellsworth Brown said the effort to raise the money to make these renovations was made possible by both the public and private sectors and involved “complementary bipartisan legislative support.”

Former Gov. Jim Doyle and Gov. Scott Walker both supported the Historical Society in its goal, Brown said.

Culver and Brown both expressed their gratitude for the generosity of donors in preserving Wisconsin’s history.

“That tells me something – particularly considering the economic reality of the last few years – that our history means something special to the people of Wisconsin, and they want to ensure it is collected, preserved and shared for our benefit and for the benefit of future generations,” Culver said.

The Board of Curators featured Wisconsin legislators Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison and Rep. Steve Kestell, R-Elkhart Lake, Brown said.

Brown described the theme of the campaign as “honoring the past while ensuring that the society is best positioned to meet the needs and expectations of people today and in the future.”

Additional accomplishments of the campaign include installing three new handicapped-accessible entrances along with many other improvements to the building’s exterior, according to Brown.

A preservation storage facility will soon be built, a project Brown said is much needed.

This building will be shared with the Department of Veteran Affairs, Brown said.
New exhibits and newly published books such as Wisconsin’s Own, the story of the contribution of Wisconsin’s historic homes, are some of the other accomplishments, Brown said.

Brown said it is important for all citizens, students and non-students alike to care about preserving history because it gives people a “sense of place.” 

“Just like sports teams tend to keep the same logos, having traditions gives us a sense of self, and a sense of pride when we go back to visit where we have been,” Brown said.

Risser said preserving history is one of the most important matters of society.

“The future is based on what has happened in the past, and knowing what happened in the past can help us improve the future,” Risser said. “Preserving history is one of the most things civilizations can do.” 

 The new Wisconsin Historical Society website can be seen at preview.wisconsinhistory.org.