Presentations
The UW–Madison Center for Campus History is available to present for course lectures, departmental or unit presentations, and other speaking engagements at no cost. A member of our staff can present on the Center’s work — its goals, mission, approach, and research — and we have previously presented on the following topics:
- The History of Protest and Resistance at UW–Madison
- Violence and Non-Violence at the University
- Feminist Protest & Organizing
- The Black Power Movement & The 1969 Black Student Strike
- The Anti-War Movement
- Anti-Racist Protest
- LGBTQ+ Activism & Organizing
- The KKK at UW–Madison and in the city of Madison
- Fascism and White Supremacy at UW–Madison
- The Eugenics Movement on campus and in the state of Wisconsin
- The History of Blackface and Minstrelsy at UW–Madison
- Latinx History at UW–Madison
- Disability History at UW–Madison
- LGBTQ+ History at UW–Madison
- The History of Housing Discrimination in Madison
- The History of The Color Line and Desegregation in College Athletics
- Monuments & Memorialization Controversies on Campus
- Public History — what it is and why we use this approach
If a topic you are interested in is not listed or you have an idea for an event, please contact us at centerforcampushistory@wisc.edu. We may have previously unpresented research that suits your needs. We are happy to customize presentations to the needs of your course or event.
Departmental or Unit Specific Presentations
The Center for Campus History is also available to present on specific departmental or unit histories. These focused presentations can help departments and units begin to grapple with their specific histories of exclusion and discrimination. The Center will present on department or unit-specific histories with the option of leading attendees through a facilitated discussion. We have had successful partnerships with the Genetics Department and the UW Law School. For more information on previous presentations or to discuss a department specific history, please contact us at centerforcampushistory@wisc.edu.
Course Collaborations
The Public History Project is also available for more in-depth course collaborations. Working with the instructor of record, we are available to assist in designing high-impact course assignments and projects that allow students to research the history of the university while studying critical issues like race, class, and gender. In collaboration with the UW Archives, we are able to provide archival research support for instructors and students. We have had successful collaborations on courses in English, History, Journalism & Mass Communications, and Gender & Women’s Studies. To discuss designing a course assignment or project, please contact us at publichistoryproject@wisc.edu.
Upcoming Events
October 11, 2023: Center for Campus History Inaugural Reception
Join us in commemorating the official opening of the CCH at our inaugural reception with refreshments, celebration and community.
Pyle Center Alumni Lounge
5–7 p.m. (Formal remarks at 5:20 p.m.)
Complimentary refreshments will be served; alcoholic beverages available for purchase.
Open to the public but RSVP required.
Past Events
March 28, 2023
4:30–6:30 p.m.
Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries presents “History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web have Changed the Past”, featuring author and public historian Jason Steinhauer.
De Luca Forum, Discovery Building
330 N. Orchard St.
December 1, 2022: Archival Research and the University of Wisconsin Public History Project
Share a self-guided group tour followed by a discussion of the exhibition to reflect on the content and consider the project from the perspective of archives. Participate in a panel discussion led by Lisa Carter, Vice Provost for Libraries, along with Kacie Lucchini Butcher, Director of the Public History Project, and Troy Reeves, Oral Historian for the UW Archives.
View the recording »
November 3, 2022: Van Hise and the History of Eugenics at UW–Madison
Please join the University Committee on Disability Access and Inclusion (CDAI) for an evening with Kacie Lucchini Butcher, Director of the Public History Project, to reckon with UW–Madison’s history of eugenics.
View the recording »
September 12–December 23, 2022:
The Public History Project presents “Sifting & Reckoning: UW–Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance”, an exhibit at the Chazen Museum this fall. Through archival objects, photographs, and oral histories the exhibit will illuminate under-recognized histories in the university’s past. Sifting & Reckoning website »
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
DoIT Equity & Diversity Committee presents
“Reckoning with our History: UW–Madison’s History of Discrimination and Resistance”
Guest Speaker: Kacie Lucchini Butcher, Director, UW–Madison Public History Project
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Join PBS Wisconsin, the UW Public History Project, and expert guests as we reveal never-before-seen footage exposing housing discrimination in 1962 Madison. The brainchild of then-Wisconsin NAACP president Lloyd Barbee and UW Extension filmmaker Stuart Hanisch, this collection of hidden camera footage was at first supported, then later legally restricted by the University of Wisconsin. Recently uncovered and unrestricted, this groundbreaking film will be shown for the first time ever and discussed by a panel of experts including Barbee’s children Daphne Wooten-Barbee and Rustam Barbee, YWCA Madison CEO Vanessa McDowell, and local historian Betty Banks. Join us to reveal and reflect on Madison’s hidden housing history on Sunday, April 18 at 6 p.m. Visit pbswisconsin.org/events to watch.
April 30, 2020: Disability History at UW
Public History Project researcher Emma Wathen discusses Disability History at UW to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
6 p.m., Live on YouTube »
March 4, 2021: The Campus Color Line
Author Eddie R. Cole discusses the book The Campus Color Line with UW–Madison’s Public History Project Director Kacie Lucchini Butcher.
4 p.m., Live on YouTube »