John Bascom and the Origins of the Wisconsin Idea

A book coverJ. David Hoeveler. University of Wisconsin Press, 2016.

The “Wisconsin Idea” concept is attributed to a 1904 speech by then-University of Wisconsin president Charles Van Hise, but its true origins stem from the thoughts and leadership of John Bascom, UW president from 1874 to 1887. Hoeveler, UW-Milwaukee distinguished professor of history, explores how Bascom’s views of a university deeply engaged in developing its state became a national model.