Science at
UW – Madison :
Sources for its History
AN EXHIBIT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
By Robin Rider , Curator of Special Collections and History of Science Librarian
Exploring the history of any scientific field at UW – Madison would be a daunting prospect , much more so teaching and research across the sciences here over some 170 years . The current exhibit in Special Collections , “ Science at UW – Madison : Sources for its History ,” focuses instead on various sources , from University Archives and beyond , that can illuminate such a broad subject .
There are many more stories to be told and discoveries made , whether in paper files ,
Images via UWDC
online sources ,
oral histories , photograph collections , and other media as preserved in
University Archives ,
Special Collections , and elsewhere - whether in materials made widely available through
UW Digitized Collections , in stories in campus publications and news , and in the published record of scientific research held in campus libraries or made available online . Through this exhibit , we hope to encourage further exploration of the vast array of relevant sources .
THE EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS :
• Science departments ’ histories , published in paper form or online
• Campus maps and historical markers recording the construction of laboratory facilities and teaching buildings connected with the sciences
( and notable campus faculty after whom some buildings are named )
• University budgets and their effects on science departments , including salary “ waivers ” imposed during the Great Depression
• Research and writings of scientists turned UW System presidents or UW – Madison chancellors
• Campus publications designed to spotlight scientific accomplishments and their relevance to the Wisconsin Idea
• Influential science textbooks produced by campus faculty
• Campus library collections for the sciences and systems for managing scientific literature
• Archival collections documenting interdisciplinary facilities like the Synchrotron and Biotron
• Accounts of research funding and the significance of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation ( WARF )
• Typewritten letters , telegrams , and born-digital documents at the intersection of scientific research and national politics .
6 | Fall 2021