Onwisconsin Summer 2019
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FOR UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–MADISON ALUMNAE AND FRIENDS SUMMER 2019 Our Monumental Women How Badger alumnae shape the world Vision Next-generation Badger stars? Inspired young fans greet the UW women’s hockey team on its return from winning the national championship in March. It was the team’s fifth title since 2006. Photo by Bryce Richter On Wisconsin 3 Contents Volume 120, Number 2 UW women’s basketball was popular from the get-go. See page 32. UW ARCHIVES 24/2/2, 48441-C DEPARTMENTS 2 Vision 7 Communications 9 First Person Women’s Issue OnCampus 11 News FEATURES 13 Bygone Ladies’ Halls 14 Calculation Women in 22 A Pioneer’s Perseverance Leadership Born in war-torn Hong Kong to a prominent but absent father 17 Conversation #MeToo in and his sixth concubine, UW physicist Sau Lan Wu has over- Science come stunning obstacles on her path to three major scientific 18 Exhibition Swoon discoveries. By Preston Schmitt ’14 20 Contender Terry Gawlik on Title IX 28 Leaving Madison in a Model T An adventurous summer road trip turned the UW’s first female engineering grad, Emily Hahn ’26, into one of America’s most storied travel writers. By Sandra Knisely Barnidge ’09, MA’13 OnAlumni 32 The Women and the Goat Soon after basketball was invented, women at the UW picked 49 News up the sport — even before the men. Intramural teams quickly 50 Tradition Women’s Studies grew in popularity and competed for an unusual (and some- 51 Class Notes times bleating) trophy. By Tim Brady ’79 59 Diversions 60 Conversation Steadfast Activist 36 A Driving Force 61 Exhibition Southern Physicist Fatima Ebrahimi PhD’03 believes that if efforts to Exposures control nuclear fusion pay off, it will provide unlimited energy MILLER JEFF 62 Honor Roll Florence Bascom that will change the world. By Stephanie Awe ’15 66 Destination Helen C. White Hall 40 You Can’t Judge a Book by Its AMBER DAY/ILLUSTRATIONWEB AMBER Coveter When graduate student Jenny Morrill MA1905 left campus for the summer, librarians found evidence of “a most awful crime” that she blamed on her morphine addiction. By Travis McDade After a decade away, Lady Liberty (this time in inflat- 42 Dance, Dance Revolutionary able form) returned to Lake Mary Hinkson ’46, MS’47 was born to dance, but as a black Mendota in February — just woman at the UW, she found Madison far from welcoming. in time to inspire our cover Rather than give up, she became one of the nation’s leading illustration for this special performers. By Harvey Long MA’16 women’s issue. See page 9. Traversing America in a Model T. See page 28. 46 One of Us As a nationally renowned sex reassignment surgeon, Marci Cover Bowers ’80 — a transgender woman herself — is helping her Illustration by patients to live more confidently and happily. By Andrew Faught Barry Carlsen MFA’83 On Wisconsin 5 MORE: of Wisconsin–Madison Mayes/University Aaron Photo: UNSCHEDULED REUNIONS You may have left Wisconsin, but hopefully it hasn’t left you. The geography, the values and the people that make this a great place to live are all still here. And now, thanks to a booming economy, abundant career opportunities and low cost of living, there’s never been a better time to come back and make a new life in the place you once called home. Wisconsin. It’s more you. THINK MAKE HAPPEN IN WISCONSIN® InWisconsin.com/Alumni 6 On Wisconsin SUMMER 2019 Communications UW WOMEN AT 150 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL Throughout the academic year, campus celebrated the 150th anniversary of women receiving degrees from the university. The UW Women at 150 website, wisc. edu/women, featured stories on these UW trailblazers: Aaron Williams ’01 of Madison writes that his five-year-old has confirmed that it is • Gloria Ladson-Billings indeed a continuous line on the “Room for Debate” graphic in the Spring 2019 issue. (pictured above), a UW The editors have been debating that since they first saw this whimsical drawing. professor emerita known for research examining racial In Praise of Debate A Wall Street Gem disparities in education Thanks to Louisa Kamps for As a longtime Wall Street Jour- • Signe Skott Cooper ’48, a exploring a topic that’s been nal subscriber, I was wonder- festering far too long [“Room for ing when Jason Gay [“A Good World War II veteran and Debate”]. She’d resonate with the Sport,” Spring 2019] would grace nursing pioneer at the UW little book Conversation, written your pages. For the influential • Ada Deer ’57, a Native Amer- some 20 years ago by Theodore WSJ readership, Mr. Gay has ican activist and the UW’s Zeldin. He writes, “I particularly significantly raised the profile of first Elder-in-Residence value conversations which are the UW and uniquely captured • Thelma Estrin ’48, MS’49, meetings on the borderline of what the Badger spirit in a humorous, PhD ’52, a computer scientist I understand and what I don’t, down-to-earth manner. Bravo! who introduced technology with people who are different Peter Struck ’73, MBA’74, to medical research from myself.” It’s good to know PhD’80 • Lorraine Hansberry x’50, the that “many at UW–Madison are Mercer Island, Washington first black female playwright actively seeking, encouraging, to have a show on Broadway and developing the ability to dis- Proud Fans (A Raisin in the Sun) cuss difficult topics fruitfully.” Thank you for having the courage • Grace Wahba, the first Jac La Tour ’78 to publish “Walking Away from Brea, California Football” [about Chris Borland female faculty member in the and CTE] in the Winter 2018 UW Department of Statistics Space Junk On Wisconsin and to Preston • Mabel Watson Raimey 1918, [RE: “Lost in Space,” Spring Schmitt for writing with such believed to be the first black 2019]: Ever since I was little, I clarity. I reread this article and woman to graduate from the remember my dad, Jon Leider shared it with my husband. We UW and the first to practice ’66, telling me how he and his agreed that it’s important for you law in Wisconsin friends found the fallen piece of to know that we are so proud of Sputnik in the street in Manito- you for publishing it. The UW has also established a woc in 1962. They noticed the Ginny Moore Kruse MA’76 giving fund called In Her Honor. object because it still had a red- Madison Contributors can recognize hot glow and was visibly steam- special women in their lives ing. They went right to the police Correction by making a gift to the UW and station to report it. The police In Diversions in the Spring 2019 officers have always received issue, the item for the book sharing a story about the hon- credit for the find — not them. I Border Country: The Northwoods oree. Names will be featured on just wanted to add that extra bit Canoe Journals of Howard an honor roll in Memorial Union, to the story, since it was a UW Greene, 1906–1916 should have and gifts ($150 minimum) will student who found it! indicated that Howard Greene support campus programs that Lisa Rupe ’92 graduated from the UW in 1886, promote gender equity. Learn Niantic, Connecticut not 1915. more at wisc.edu/women. On Wisconsin 7 Enjoy the Nature of Great Retirement OAKWOOD’S TWO CAMPUSES are thriving communities set in beautiful natural surroundings. Walking paths, resident gardens, and integrated landscaping invite you to explore. Paired with best-in-class life enrichment programming, you will find ample opportunities to learn, grow and be a part of a close-knit community. Prairie Ridge University Woods 5565 Tancho Drive, Madison 6205 Mineral Point Road, Madison Learn more at www.oakwoodvillage.net URP-Exact-On-WI-Sept2018-PRESS.pdf 1 9/13/18 4:13 PM New Headquarters for Exact Sciences C M Y CM MY CY CMY K GET EVOLVED: alwaysINNOVATING universityresearchpark.org/evolution 8 On Wisconsin SUMMER 2019 First Person JEFF MILLER JEFF Summer 2019 COEDITORS Niki Denison, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) Preston Schmitt ’14, University Marketing (interim) CONSULTING EDITOR Cindy Foss, University Communications PUBLISHER Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association 1848 University Avenue Madison, WI 53726-4090 608-263-4545 Email: [email protected] Web: onwisconsin.uwalumni.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John Allen, WFAA ART DIRECTOR At the 2018 Nancy Rinehart, University Marketing “The University, in all its departments and Homecoming DESIGNER colleges, shall be open alike to male and Parade, stu- Danielle Lawry, University Marketing female students.” In Wisconsin’s reorganiza- dents marched PRODUCTION EDITOR in celebration Eileen Fitzgerald ’79, University Marketing tion act of 1866, the state legislature declared of 150 years of that the UW should serve all of its citizens, coeducation at CLASS NOTES/DIVERSIONS EDITOR the UW. Stephanie Awe ’15, WFAA not merely the half who wore neckties. The PHOTOGRAPHERS UW, however, was not entirely keen to obey, particularly Jeff Miller and Bryce Richter, University Communications because the person it hoped would be its next president, Paul DESIGN, LAYOUT, AND PRODUCTION Chadbourne, felt that coeducation would “cause a great deal Toni Good ’76, MA’89, Kent Hamele ’78, Kate Price ’09: University Marketing; of trouble.” But after some wrangling, women were added Nicole Heiman, Chelsea Schlecht ’13, Erin Sprague ’94: WFAA to campus in 1867, and so was Chadbourne. EDITORIAL INTERN There had, in fact, been women at the UW prior to this. Nina Bertelsen ’19 The Normal Department, which taught teachers, had female ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Madison Magazine: 608-270-3600 students since 1863.