It was 50 years ago today that police and protesters clashed on the UW campus, sending scores of protesters to the emergency room, and even injuring bystanders. The bloody event has become a seminal moment in the collective memory of Madisonians. Madison historian Stu Levitan takes us back half a century. He describes the sights, […]

Madison, 1965. Antiwar protests sweep the nation, and the campus becomes a friendly space for nonviolent leaders. Many performances and presentations take place, by ambassadors, ballet groups, singers, and Bob Dylan cover bands. The contralto singer Marian Anderson visits Madison on her 50-stop international farewell tour, drawing 3000 spectators. Comedians entertain at Homecoming. New dormitories […]

The annual WSA Symposium has many interesting guests giving lectures to the UW students, and the Regents enjoy guitarists and bluegrass groups. Liberal guests give their takes on the Vietnam War and social justice issues. A rock and poetry performance captivates the spectators, then they march and party the next day. Foreign and domestic dance […]

The council rejects a movement to give all state employees the afternoon off on Good Friday. Madison enters the Jet Age: Northwest Airlines begins a jet service to Milwaukee, and residents tour the aircraft before its first voyage. The council also adopts an ordinance prohibiting hiring or being a strikebreaker. Police chief asks mayor to […]