Now available at Boswell: a new history of UWM from Professor Emeritus and former Chancellor John H. Schroeder

Even though we are not on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, Boswell's ties to the school are worth noting. When you count up our work with area colleges and universities, from hosting professors to promoting and even selling at the events of visiting authors, there are close to a dozen schools in Wisconsin in which we have some relationship. But our relationship with UWM is particularly special.

For one thing, the main campus begins only about six blocks from our doors. While some schools do not allow us to sell on campus, due to a campus store contract that limits our presence, that's not the case with UWM. Even when there was campus bookstore, we were given permission to set up campus events, and we have cosponsored a number of events with the UWM Bookstore. And they were fun!

And while we cosponsor and sell books on campus with some regularity (five events last week alone), UWM is also represented at Boswell by the faculty and students that appear at the store. This semester has seen more than a half dozen faculty speak at Boswell and more events that were cosponsored by campus groups. The spring will see more, plus readings from UWM creative writing students, both graduates (February) and undergraduates (May).

So when UWM asked if we'd sell copies of The University of Wisconsin: The First Sixty Years, 1956-2016 at Boswell, we jumped at the chance. Written by John H. Schroeder, Professor Emeritus of History (and a former Chancellor of UWM), this book is a sequel of sorts to The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: A Historical Profile, 1885-1992.

Schroeder's story begins in 1956 with the merger of Wisconsin State College, Milwaukee, and the University of Wisconsin Extension Division in Milwaukee. Its roots can be traced back to 1880 and the Milwaukee State Normal School, which morphed to Milwaukee State Teachers College in 1927 and Wisconsin State College in 1951. (Above right from a recent event we helped put together, Nathaniel Philbrick with Marcy Bidney at the American Geographical Society Library at UWM Golda Meir Library.)

This new book covers the 1960s building boom, the creation of WUWM, and the school's increasing status in athletics (as an NCAA Division I institution) and research (classified in 2016 as a Level I research university). Please note here that we're pretty much using copy to get the word out about this book. I actually plan to read it cover to cover, but my thought is you probably don't want to wait until that happens. (Above right - we worked with UWM Student Involvement on this event with Dessa and Hank Green at the UWM Union)

Once Professor Schroeder returns to Wisconsin (he's just about to leave for Arizona for the season), we hope to host him at Boswell. Meanwhile, The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: The First Sixty Years, 1956-2016, is available for sale at Boswell and on our website for $24.99. Shipping is $12 by UPS or $6 by USPS Media Mail.