A Conversation with Walter Mirisch

history.wisc.edu FALL 2008 NEWS A Conversation with Walter Mirisch (BA ’42) “If you look at the history of blacks in films—from the inception of American films until the late 1960s—In the Heat of the Night was a revolutionary film. This change was brought about by people in the film industry, people like Walter Mirisch, who were humanists and who believed in the brotherhood of mankind and wanted to make films that spoke to the sense of brotherhood in themselves.” SIDNEY POITIER FINDING MYSELF alterMirisch WM: Oh yes. There were some very IN HISTORY (BA ’42) exem- extraordinary people there at my time. I Life Stories from Our Alumni Wplifies the best was very influenced by William Hesseltine Hollywood has to offer. He is a producer, in American history. I took a wonderful which in his case means he is an essential course in the history of the British Empire part of the film making process—from find- with Paul Knapland. And of course ing the story to editing to post-production. there was Chester Easum, who directed His intelligence, skill, experience, and my undergraduate thesis on the Rome- E-mail your humanity resulted in many films that enrich, Berlin Axis. He was very helpful, and he correspondence to: educate, but most of all provide entertain- taught me a great deal about historical historynewsletter@ ment of the highest order. He tells his story writing. And there were other really lists.wisc.edu. in his recent memoir I Thought We Were excellent people, such as Robert Reynolds Making Movies, Not History (UW Press, in Medieval history, and my advisor, 2008). Recently, he took time from his busy Earl Pomeroy, with whom I studied Latin schedule for an interview with John Tortorice. American history. It takes a little remem- Q: Were there any courses or professors bering to come up with some of these in the history department that you recall names from so long ago. in particular? continued on page 6 REP R ODUCED COU rt ESY OF th E AC A DE M Y OF MO ti O N Pi C T U R E A rt S & S C I E N CES. The 1968 Academy Award winner’s circle for In the Heat of the Night. Left to right: Hal Ashby, Norman Jewison, Rod Steiger, Walter Mirisch. From Walter Mirisch’s book I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History (UW Press, 2008). Message from the Chair, David McDonald istory matters. As I write these another important constituency who appreci- lines the conflict between Russia ate that “history matters”—all those of you who Hand Georgia has reached an uneasy continue to support History at UW–Madison denouement, the “new” China has decisively and who continue to express your devotion to declared its arrival as a global power with the this life-enriching pursuit. In letters, e-mails, Beijing Olympics, and Americans have turned and personal meetings, I’ve been delighted to their attention to a major economic crisis and a learn how well you have absorbed a historian’s memorable presidential election. These events perspective, even while earning distinction in spring from forces and processes that reach fields that bear little apparent connection to much farther back in time and memory than our calling. Two examples come immediately the currently fashionable measures of three- to mind. In February, the department hosted a month economic performance reports, two- or visit by Allan H. “Bud” Selig, the Commissioner four-year electoral terms, or the continually of Major League Baseball and an alumnus of self-refreshing and self-obsolescing twenty-four our department. He had generously agreed to Professor David McDonald hour news cycle. By the same token, these and inaugurate a new annual lecture series entitled other events challenge Panglossian assumptions “What Can You Do With a History Major?” that globalization will efface outmoded nation- In a riveting talk Selig illustrated clearly and alism or regional particularism [see Scotland succinctly the ways in which his study of history or Xinjiang, for example] or that the end of the at the University of Wisconsin helped frame his Cold War declared the “end of history” as the approach to managing the sprawling institutions product of ideological conflict, a contention that associated with the national pastime. In May, seems implausible, for better or worse, wher- I had the pleasure of accompanying John W. ever one looks. Rowe, another of our alumni and CEO of Our department has long championed and Exelon Corporation, to Spring Commence- nurtured this mode of thinking. Frederick Jack- ment, where he received an honorary doctor- son Turner, George Mosse, Gerda Lerner, and ate from the university. Throughout his career Jan Vansina revolutionized their fields of schol- Rowe has sustained an interest in history as an arship with a combination of rigor, originality, avocation, both in his voracious reading, and and thoughtful consideration of evidence. Their also in his family’s endowment of two professor- successors continue to remind us of history’s ships in our department. More broadly, he has centrality to human experience, whether in incorporated the Wisconsin Idea in his life as Steve Stern’s current work on Chilean society’s a citizen. struggle to assimilate and overcome the legacy Selig and Rowe represent only two of the of the Pinochet years, or Ned Blackhawk’s many, many examples I could cite of alumni reflections on the devastating legacy of the ab- who have assimilated and put into practice the sorption of the Southwest basin into the ambit perspectives offered by the study of history. of the European imperial system, Francine Each year brings new evidence of your contin- Hirsch’s research on the overlooked part played ued interest in our shared field of interest and, by the Soviets at Nuremberg, or André Wink’s especially, your support for the department that ongoing study of the religious, cultural, political introduced you to this rich and intellectually and economic ties that connected the hetero- rewarding discipline. My colleagues and I value geneous world of early modern south Asia in your continued attachment to our larger com- ways that resonate into the present. Our success munity. To help strengthen these ties, members in maintaining this signal Wisconsin tradition of the department will continue to visit our is reflected in the continuing high quality of larger alumni communities; we have also begun the graduate students who come here each to expand and simplify our Web site, begin- year for their professional training, and in the ning with an ongoing project to document the reputation the department enjoys as a result of storied past of the History Department. I invite the 300-plus of our PhD recipients teaching at you to visit us at history.wisc.edu and, even institutions throughout North America. more, to maintain contact with us by e-mail, During my term as chair, however, I have letters, or in person, because you matter to had the pleasure of building relationships with history. 2 University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of History Rowe Family Endows a Professorship in Greek History s president and CEO n Susan Davis (BA ’73) and Miles of the Chicago-based Gerstein (BA ’70) have created a fund to Exelon Corpora- provide opportunities for undergraduates A to pursue their research interests. Miles tion, one of the nation’s Gerstein writes: largest electrical utilities, John Rowe (’67, J.D.’70) is “We have always held a high respect at the forefront of discus- for history and historians dating back to sions about the energy our undergraduate years in Madison, and our ties to the History Department are future of the United States. different, but strong: Susan’s work as an He directs the innovative archivist has always kept her close to the approach of Exelon to the historical world through her positions at complex issue of energy the New York Public Library and other needs and greenhouse gas institutions; I received a small stipend emissions through a plan from the History Department that allowed that pledges to cut green- me to visit the Library of Congress to house gas emissions by further my research under the direction of making Exelon’s operations Professor Ed Gargan. This was the most more efficient, cutting the meaningful educational project I have ever energy use of electricity worked on as I learned not only how to conduct historical research, but how to customers, and building synthesize and shape information. I have low-carbon generators to never forgotten the generosity of the replace older less efficient History Department or the support and plants. The plan also allows guidance I received from Ed Gargan. We for the utility to turn a profit want to acknowledge our great education from helping the environ- Jeanne and John Rowe. at UW–Madison, and provide opportuni- ment and providing energy to ties for undergraduates.” its costumers. Recently John Rowe The commitment to education n The History Department has received spoke about his background, and his runs deep in the Rowe family; John, a generous gift from the estate of family his wife, Jeanne, and their son Bill Professor Peter K. Cline (BA ’64). The “I was born in a small town in give to public and private educational unrestricted gift was given “In memory of southwest Wisconsin to Welsh par- institutions at all levels, including my mentor George L. Mosse.” Peter Cline ents who were Methodists. The town the Rowe-Clark Math and Science taught history at Earlham College for also included Swedish Lutherans and Academy in a low income neighbor- thirty two years, and was known for the Irish Catholics; all Northern Europe- hood in Chicago.

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