Year: 2026

The Center for Campus History’s mission is to uncover and give voice to the many groups across the university’s history who experienced and challenged discrimination and exclusion on campus. Since becoming a permanent center in 2023, the CCH has sought to continue and grow that mission, working to expand and enrich UW–Madison’s historical narrative by centering the voices, experiences, and struggles of marginalized groups. That work has taken many forms over the last year, from new archival research to classroom visits. We published new pieces of student and staff research, collaborated with other campus groups on public-facing projects, developed new curricular materials, and much more.Consider this Year in Review a sampling of what we’ve been up to. Read the AY24-25 Year in Review here »

“The hows and whys of student social life” (1936); “A pipe course in Wisconsin student social conduct” (1938); “A brief brief on etiquette” (1947). At a time when women on UW–Madison’s campus lived under strict rules about dress, behavior, and curfews, a fascinating “etiquette” handbook was born. Conceived, written, edited, and published by women students at UW–Madison from approximately 1936-1960, Wiscetiquette contained a wealth of inside information on academics, social life, and traditions on campus.

The International Club of UW–Madison was established on March 14, 1903, by 16 international students representing 11 nationalities at the apartment of Kiyoshi Karl Kawakami, a Japanese international student. Aiming to “work for a world community” against the “barriers of nationalism,” the club sought to encourage mutual empathy among international and American-born students.