ONLINE: Dennis Dresang

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Courtesy UW La Follette School of Public Affairs

Dennis Dresang is an emeritus professor and founding director of the UW La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Hundreds have already registered for this event but, because it’s virtual, there is room for all! Dennis Dresang, professor emeritus of UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, will discuss his latest book, Patrick J. Lucey: A Lasting Legacy, in a panel discussion with former Govs. Jim Doyle and Scott McCallum. In his book, Dresang relies on interviews and “unprecedented access to archival materials” to tell the story of Wisconsin’s 38th governor, who served from 1971 to 1977. Among Lucey’s legacy is the creation of the UW System. Susan Webb Yackee, director of La Follette, will moderate the discussion. Register here for the free event.

media release: La Follette School Professor Emeritus Dennis Dresang will discuss his latest book, Patrick J. Lucey: A Lasting Legacy, with former Wisconsin Govs. Jim Doyle and Scott McCallum.This event is co-sponsored by the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, and is funded by the Kohl Initiative.

Fifty years after Lucey’s election as Wisconsin’s 38th governor, Dresang, Doyle, and McCallum will talk about how Lucey addressed timeless public policy issues. La Follette School Director and Professor Susan Webb Yackee will moderate the discussion. The livestreamed event is free; however, pre-registration is required. To register, click here

Lucey pursued an ambitious progressive agenda as governor from 1971 to 1977, tempered by the concerns of a fiscal conservative and a pragmatic realist. He was known for bridging partisan divides, building coalitions, and keeping politics civil. His legacy, which included merging Wisconsin’s universities into one system and equalizing the funding formula for public schools, continues to impact Wisconsin residents and communities.

Before serving as governor, Lucey played a key role in rebuilding the Democratic Party in Wisconsin. As party chairman, he built coalitions between World War II veterans, remnants of the defunct Progressive Party, urban socialists, and activists in rural communities throughout the state.

Lucey also served as Ambassador to Mexico from 1977 to 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, as lieutenant governor from 1965 to 1967, and in numerous local and state offices. In 1980, presidential candidate John Anderson selected Lucey as his running mate, losing the election to President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

A political scientist, Dennis Dresang was director of UW-Madison’s Center for Public Policy and Administration from 1981 to 1983 and founding director of the La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, the School’s predecessor. He also was a founder of the Wisconsin Women in Government (WWIG) Leadership Seminar, which the La Follette School and WWIG launched in 2001.

Jim Doyle was Wisconsin’s 44th governor – serving from 2003 to 2011. Before his election as governor, he served 12 years as Wisconsin’s attorney general.

Scott McCallum served as Thompson’s lieutenant governor from 1987 to 2001 and was Wisconsin’s 43rd governor from 2001 to 2003. Both serve as adjunct associate professors for the La Follette School.