Wisconsin Alumni Association

“It’s kind of my superpower.” That’s the way La Crosse native and UW grad Hans Obma ’02 describes his ability to use languages and accents to play a variety of characters in an acting career that has taken off.

Thank you Polk County for Gaylord Nelson LLB’42. Known at the Father of Earth Day, Nelson championed the protection of our environment as Wisconsin’s governor, and later U.S. senator. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we learn more about the man who changed the way the world looked at planet Earth.

Fifty years ago, a UW grad brought Major League baseball back to Wisconsin. Bud Selig not only owned the Milwaukee Brewers, he later became the commissioner of Major League Baseball. Selig made historic changes that helped save the game. In this podcast, Selig provides an intriguing look inside professional baseball, focusing on the steroid era and how Selig helped bring the game into the modern age.

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay often wears his Badger pride on his sleeve as he writes articles like “To Save the World, Wisconsin Really Needs to Beat Michigan.” Jason stopped by the Wisconsin Alumni Association® headquarters before his 2019 Winter Commencement speech to talk sports, the futility of being cool, and embracing the chaos of life.

Ann McKee shares her life story, how she discovered the devastating impact of this disease, and the almost insurmountable odds she faced to warn people of the dangers.

Thank you, Iowa County, for Chuck Halverson. He grew up during the depression, a farm boy who dreamed of playing football on the gridiron at Camp Randall. His dream came true, but not without some hard times, twists and turns, and a world war to fight. He made the varsity football team, got married, raised a family, and started a successful business. Chuck is one of UW Athletics’ oldest surviving letter winners.

Waupaca County native and former ambassador to Greece and Belarus, Daniel Speckhard ’80, MA’82, MS’83, shares his unique perspective on fast-changing events around the world. From the trade war with China to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Northeastern Syria, where does America stand?

Blazing trails, it’s what Badgers do. Trailblazers are first, creating pathways for others to follow and succeed. In this podcast we hear from a true trailblazer and champion of Native American rights and social justice.

Thank you, St. Croix County for Warren Knowles. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1933 and became Wisconsin’s 37th governor.

Thank you, Milwaukee County for Mildred Fish-Harnack, University of Wisconsin class of 1925.

The van, the myth, the legend. A 1957 International Harvester, who goes by the name Randall M. Scoops, is crisscrossing Wisconsin this summer.

Who is Meinhardt Raabe? Chances are you’ve seen the Watertown native’s performance in one of the greatest films in cinema history.

The son of a circus performer, Bill Schultz ’48 loved to entertain crowds with his dexterity and feats of strength. As a marine during World War II, he helped raise money for war bonds by boxing and wrestling Hollywood actors, including legendary western star John Wayne. After the war, he enrolled at UW–Madison, where he studied physical education and led the gymnastics team to a Big Ten title. During football and basketball games, he entertained halftime crowds with cartwheels and handstands — some performed on the rafters of the Wisconsin Field House. In 1972, he became executive director of the Circus World in Baraboo, helping to preserve circus history for generations. This summer, Circus World is celebrating its 60th anniversary. In this edition of the Thank You, 72 podcast, Executive Director Scott O’Donnell and Performance Director and Ringmaster Dave SaLoutos share stories about Bill and his amazing legacy that is Circus World.

On June 12, 1994, a tragic event would change the trajectory of Outagamie County native and UW alumna Greta Van Susteren’s life. Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of football star O. J. Simpson, was found murdered along with her friend Ron Goldman. Authorities arrested Simpson and charged him with those murders. Van Susteren, a lawyer at the time, became a daily fixture on CNN as she provided instant legal analysis during live coverage of the proceedings. For the next two decades, Van Susteren dominated the cable news airwaves. She anchored newscasts on CNN and MSNBC, as well as On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel. Van Susteran recently announced her return to television with a new Sunday public affairs program called Full Court Press and her new role as a national political analyst for Gray Television stations across the country. Van Susteren — a lawyer turned legal analyst during the “trial of the century,” who became an influential journalist — shares her life story on this episode of Thank You, 72. It is a wide-ranging discussion including her biggest regret when she left Fox News and her new broadcasting ventures.

J. J. Watt once dominated Camp Randall with his defensive skills as he played football for the Wisconsin Badgers. This May, he returns to Camp Randall, but in a very different role: he is the spring commencement speaker! In this podcast, the senior class officers who chose Watt for this honor get to ask him questions before graduation day.

Seeking truth, exposing injustice, sparking change. In this podcast, the stories of two UW-Madison alumni who used very different talents and skills to confront longstanding issues involving race and inequality. First, thank you, Iron County for Joseph Sullivan. He grew up in Hurley and was a former Badger football standout. Sullivan graduated in 1938, and joined the FBI. He played a key role in many major investigations, including the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. Novelist Tom Clancy called him “the greatest lawman America ever produced.” Then, the story of 1997 grad Gillian Laub. Her photographs of a segregated prom in Montgomery County, Georgia, published in the New York Times Magazine, lead to a national outcry for change in 2009. Laub later returned to Georgia to produce a documentary about changes in the community. However, the documentary took a dramatic turn when a young black man is shot by an older white man.

Thank you, Juneau County, for Tommy Thompson. He is one of Wisconsin’s most colorful and accomplished public figures. Thompson grew up in the small town of Elroy. His father ran the local grocery store and instilled in him a strong work ethic. His mother was a teacher and taught him kindness for others. With only a grocery bag of clothes, Thompson came to UW–Madison in 1959. Thompson earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1963 and 1966, respectively. Fresh out of law school, he won a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1966. He went on to become the longest-serving governor in state history and later joined the George W. Bush administration as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson and Doug Moe — the coauthor of his autobiography, My Journey of a Lifetime — discuss his passion for this state and its people. Thompson also reflects on his accomplishments as governor, his unfailing support of the state’s flagship university, and how he changed a president’s mind about stem cell research.