April 24, 2017  |  News & Events, Sad News, Timely Announcements

Colleagues,

I share with you sad news from Professor Amanda Seligman, Chair of the Department of History:

Bruce Fetter, Professor Emeritus of History, died last week, having taught at UWM since 1967. He held a PhD in African History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books included Colonial Rule and Regional Imbalance in Central Africa, The Creation of Elisabethville, 1910-1940, and Demography from Scanty Evidence: Central Africa in the Colonial Era. His service to the university included a term as History Department chair, from 1995 to 1998. He was editor of the social science journal Urbanism Past and Present, a publication that reinforced UWM’s reputation as a center of urban scholarship. In his later years, Professor Fetter’s research interests turned toward matters of public health and historical demography. In addition to teaching African History, Professor Fetter developed and passionately taught a course on the use of maps as historical sources, sharing the treasures of UWM’s American Geographical Society Library with generations of students. In addition to having devoted his career to UWM, Professor Fetter was a generous supporter of the university’s History and French departments, the L&S New Directions Fund, and the Libraries. He was central to the reinvigoration of the UWM Retirees Association.

Burial has already occurred. Members of the UWM community who are interested in information about a future memorial service should write to Amanda Seligman (seligman@uwm.edu), Chair of the Department of History.

Take care,

Johannes

Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs