Warhawk Almanac - Research, Citation, & Class Guides at University of Wisconsin Whitewater

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Warhawk Almanac: Homecoming 1974

Written by Jacob OberAs we start Homecoming Week, let’s look back at how the campus celebrated 50 years ago. The theme for 1974’s homecoming was “New Images,” reflecting the university's changing nature as it welcomed a new chancellor, increased enrollment, and a championship football team.[1] The festivities at Homecoming ’74 were highlighted by the nationally renowned jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat and Tears making an appearance on Thursday night, performing hit songs such as “You Make Me So Very Happy” and “Spinning Wheel,”[2] both of which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969,[3] as well as songs off their new album “Mirror Images,” reflecting the “new images” theme of homecoming. Soft-rock band Heartsfield also made an appearance, providing a mellow contrast to the more upbeat style of Blood, Sweat & Tears. The Homecoming Parade kicked off Saturday's festivities. The organizing committee thought it to be the largest Homecoming Parade to date. [4] The UW-Whitewater football team took the field that afternoon, facing off against UW-River Falls at Warhawk (Perkins) Stadium. The result was a resounding 28-14 victory, highlighted by wide receiver Roger Gename’s 11 receptions, setting a new school record at the time.[5] Students take a ride on top of a tank during the Homecoming Parade [6]Other festivities throughout the week included a bonfire, bed rally, a dance, and the annual “Yell Like Hell” contest.[7] In congruence with the official homecoming celebrations, the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho sponsored the annual “Black Homecoming” that featured a dance in the Badger Commons on Saturday. Karen Jarrart, basileus of the Sigma Gamma Rho chapter in Whitewater, was quoted as saying that she “hopes everyone will attend the homecoming because this will benefit future events for all black students.”[8] THe King and Queen of Black Homecoming wave to the camera [9]By all accounts, Homecoming ’74 at UW-Whitewater proved to be a big success. Students expressed positive sentiments about the celebrations, and in the spirit of “New Images,” Homecoming ’74 “offered an image that reflected the varied interests and contrasts of the student body.”[10] [1] 1975 Minneiska, UW Whitewater Archives and Area Research Center, 30. [2] Ibid, 32.[3] Billboard Hot 100 (The week of April 12th, 1969) and Billboard Hot 100 (The week of July 19th, 1969). https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1969-04-12/ and https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1969-07-19/[4] “Homecoming Festivities Set,” Royal Purple, October 2, 1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158398 [5] Gary D’Amato, “Aerials teach Falcons,” Royal Purple, October 23, 1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158401 [6] 1975 Minneiska, 32. [7] “Homecoming ’74: New Images, Schedule of Events,” Royal Purple , October 16, 1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158400 [8] “Annual Homecoming ‘set’ by organization,” The Royal Purple, October 16, 1974, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33158400 [9] 1975 Minneiksa, 32.[10] Ibid, 32....

Warhawk Almanac: Virtual Campus History Tour Now Available

The UW-Whitewater Archives team has created a self-guided campus history tour. With the Homecoming 2024 festivities right around the corner, it's the perfect time to reminisce about your days on campus and learn about campus history. You can access the virtual tour experience at this link: https://arcg.is/abmrf0Whether you traveled to campus for Homecoming or would like to explore campus from the comfort of your home, this virtual tour is accessible to all. It allows you to explore campus on your own time and pace. The tour experience includes a brief timeline of the university's history, a photo gallery of Old Main, and campus maps to guide your exploration. You can read about a location's history and view historical photos by selecting a purple pin marker on the map. We would appreciate your feedback about the tour experience. Please fill out this short survey to let us know how we can continue to improve the experience. We hope you enjoy your exploration of UW-Whitewater's history! ...

Warhawk Almanac: A Quaker Beginning

Written by Riley Smith Today, the students and athletes at UW-Whitewater are fondly known as the Warhawks and are accompanied by a hawk mascot named Willie. Though, that was not always the case. Throughout the university’s early years, the student body had no real nickname or mascot to call their own. They did, however, have a school color- purple. “The Purple” was a common way to refer to school teams, whether athletic, for the football team, was referred to as “The Purple” in the 1934 Minneiska, the university’s yearbook, as well as other student organizations, such as the debate team.[1] Yet, as early as 1929, the football team also used the moniker of the “Quakers.”[2] As students were trying to determine a mascot or symbol that represented them, the Quakers won out as the unofficial school mascot. It would be used in reference to the school’s athletic teams for the next couple of decades. “Evolution of Willie the Warhawk”, Royal Purple (Whitewater, Wisconsin), November 19, 2014, 7. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026 Faculty Dames Directory, Whitewater, Wisconsin: Whitewater State Teachers College, 1957-1958. Baseball_quakers_nd., undated, still image, University of Wisconsin -Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin. Many stories exist as to how the name came to be. One story states that a traveling baseball team came to Whitewater to play a game and left their jerseys here, which had “The Quakers” printed on the back.[3] A variation of said story claims the baseball team was bankrupt and unable to pay for a hotel, so they left the aforementioned jerseys as a form of payment.[4] Another story is that a local team, named the Quakers, provided the jerseys.[5] Regardless of how the name came to be, the student body would come to accept it as their own. It was not long before a mascot, who represented the new Quaker identity, started showing up to parades and other athletic events. The mascot’s face also soon appeared on signs at sporting events and on the homes of students and fans. “Evolution of Willie the Warhawk”, Royal Purple (Whitewater, Wisconsin), November 19, 2014, 7. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026Despite the new nickname and mascot’s popularity, the school did not officially recognize the symbol of the Quaker as a mascot. With growing dissatisfaction with the passive symbolism associated with Quakers, students and staff alike were interested in adopting a mascot that had a fighting spirit.[7] In the late 1950s, a contest was held in hopes of bringing upon a name the school could officially adopt.[8] Four students, August Revoy, Ron Hall, John Rabata, and William Jolly, came up with the name “Warhawks”.[9] The name was then officially approved by the school’s president at the time, Robert C. Williams.[10] While the student body is no longer known as the Quakers, both the name and mascot hold a unique place in UW-Whitewater’s history. [1] Vasna Brajkovic, “Evolution of Willie the Warhawk,” Royal Purple, November 19, 2014, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026; Minneiska, 1934, 93, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Archives & Area Research Center; “Purple Debate Team Wins from La Crosse,” Royal Purple, March 4, 1929, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32490933. [2] “Win in a Victory Over Platteville,” UW-Whitewater Scrapbook, 1927 - 1930, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35161232; “Historical Timeline,” University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 2018, https://www.uww.edu/150/timeline. [3] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” University Center Blog, February 12, 2018, https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/. [4] “What’s In a Name? President, 1918 Grad Solve Mystery of ‘Quaker’ Origin,” Royal Purple, February 11, 1958, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32716927. [5] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/; Vasna Brajkovic, “Evolution of Willie the Warhawk,” Royal Purple, November 19, 2014, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35002026. [6] Steven Balistreri, “Why are we the Warhawks?,” https://blogs.uww.edu/ucinfo/2018/02/12/why-are-we-the-warhawks/. [7] “From the Editor: ‘Quakers’ is Too Peaceful Say WSC Athletic Leaders,” Royal Purple, February 18, 1958, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32716928. [8] “Contest to Replace ‘Quaker’ Announced by Royal Purple,” Royal Purple, February 25, 1958, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32716929. [9] Parker Olsen, “Did you know UW-W once had an Indigenous logo?,” Royal Purple, February 13, 2022, https://royalpurplenews.com/35380/sports/did-you-know-uww-had-a-indigenous-logo/. [10] Haney, Campus Cornerstones, 111....

Warhawk Almanac: Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium - Home of Warhawk Baseball

Written by Jacob OberWarhawk baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has a long and storied history, dating back to the 1870s with the organization of the first baseball club on campus.[1] It wasn’t until 1957 that the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) organized the first regular baseball season between the member schools.[2] Whitewater was a co-champion of that first season, tying with Eau Claire for the title. Since 1977, the UW-Whitewater baseball team has qualified for the Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament 25 times, advancing to the World Series eight times and coming away as World Series champions twice, in 2005 and 2014.[3] Through all the success of the baseball program at UW-Whitewater, they’ve called one place home: Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.Aerial View of Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium. [4]Prucha Field, built in 1957, coinciding with the beginning of the organized baseball program, is named after professor Rudolph “Rudy” W. Prucha, who taught physics at the university from 1932-1967.[5] Prucha was a highly respected professor, earning the first Excellence in Teaching Award in 1932, and again in 1965 shortly before his retirement. In addition to teaching physics, Prucha also took an interest in the university’s athletics, serving as the faculty athletic representative during his tenure at Whitewater.[6] Following his retirement, the Rudolph W. Prucha Memorial Scholarship for Physics Education was established in his honor, given to students on an annual basis who are pursuing a career in physics education.[7]Professor Prucha (right) demonstrating a physics principle to students.[8]As the Warhawk baseball team gained prestige, Prucha Field required updates and improvements. During the tenure of James “Jim” B. Miller from 1987-2003, the stadium underwent major changes, adding new features such as batting cages, permanent dugouts, a press box, additional seating, and more.[9] During his sixteen years as UW-Whitewater’s head baseball coach, Miller and his Warhawk baseball team compiled a 416-226-4 record, making seven NCAA Division III appearances and one World Series appearance in 1989.[10] At the time of his retirement, Miller’s 416 wins were the most in program history, only surpassed by John Vodenlich, the current head baseball coach.[11] On May 7th, 2011, Prucha Field was renamed to Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium in honor of Miller's success.[12]James “Jim” B. Miller's portrait in the UW-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame.[13] Today, Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium remains the home of Warhawk baseball. The stadium’s amenities have made it one of the premier venues in NCAA Division III baseball for it has served as the host of the NCAA Regional tournament nine times since 2004.[14] [1] M. Janette Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University – Whitewater, (Whitewater State University Foundation Inc., 1967), 49. [2] “WIAC Baseball Team Champions,” WIAC, https://wiacsports.com/documents/2010/6/22/BaseballTeamChamp.pdf?id=107. [3] “Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2017/8/29/prucha-field.aspx.[4] Ibid. [5] Bohi, A History of Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, 262.[6] Ibid.[7] “Scholarships and Awards Within UW-W Physics Department,” Department of Physics, Univeristy of Wisconsin - Whitewater, https://www.uww.edu/cls/departments/physics#scholarshipsandawards%23scholarships-and-awards. [8] Minneiska, 1958, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Archives & Area Research Center. [9] “Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2017/8/29/prucha-field.aspx.[10] “Athletics Hall of Fame, Jim Miller,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/honors/athletics-hall-of-fame/jim-miller/245.[11] “Baseball Coaching Records,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/sports/2024/4/1/baseball-coach-history.aspx.[12] “James B. Miller Stadium Dedication,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, 8 April 2011, https://uwwsports.com/news/2011/4/8/BSB_0408112109.aspx.[13]“Athletics Hall of Fame, Jim Miller,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, https://uwwsports.com/honors/athletics-hall-of-fame/jim-miller/245.[14] “James B. Miller Stadium Dedication,” University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics, 8 April 2011, https://uwwsports.com/news/2011/4/8/BSB_0408112109.aspx. ...