David Hoeveler

press release: Join WISCAPE for a discussion with David Hoeveler, author of "John Bascom and the Origins of the Wisconsin Idea."

In the Progressive Era of American history, the state of Wisconsin gained national attention for its innovative economic and political reforms. Amidst this ferment, the “Wisconsin Idea” was popularized—the idea that a public university should improve the lives of people beyond the borders of its campus.

Although the Wisconsin Idea is often attributed to a 1904 speech by Charles Van Hise, president of the University of Wisconsin, David Hoeveler argues that it originated decades earlier, in the creative and fertile mind of John Bascom.

Hoeveler traces the intellectual history of the Wisconsin Idea from the nineteenth century to such influential Progressive Era thinkers as Richard T. Ely and John R. Commons, who believed university researchers should be a vital source of expertise for government and citizens.

This event is cosponsored by the University of Wisconsin Press (https://uwpress.wisc.edu/) and the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.