Many events that have shaped UW–Madison’s history are well documented while others are more obscure. In this issue, we reveal some happenings from years gone by that may have missed the headlines, including a student worker strike, ski jumping on Bascom Hill, hockey on Library Mall and a rare campus snow day.
January, 1914 – No Soup for You
In late 1913, over half of the student workers in the dining rooms in Lathrop (the University Commons), Barnard, and Chadbourne Halls were threatened with dismissal due to budget issues. In January of 1914, students formed the Wisconsin Student Workers Union and threatened a strike in protest. On February 1, UW–Madison closed the dining rooms only to reopen them and rehire the student workers later in the month.
January 11, 1920 – Ski High
Disappointed that their favorite pastime was virtually unheard of in the Midwest, a group of Norwegian exchange students decided to build a ski jump on the northern edge of Bascom Hill. Over winter break, 16 students built a wooden jump on Muir Knoll that propelled skiers down the hill and onto Lake Mendota. The jump officially opened on January 11, 1920, and a crowd of 3,000 spectators appeared to watch the spectacle. This was the birth of the Badger Ski Club.
January 14, 1922 – One, we want more!
The Badger Men’s Hockey team played its first game on what was known as the “lower campus rink”—a.k.a. a flooded Library Mall. The Badgers lost, 4-2, to the Milwaukee Athletic Club team and finished with a 0-8 record that first season. But not to worry, they got better—MUCH better. Since then, the UW–Madison Men’s Hockey team has won six NCAA Championships, and the team has finished the first half of the 2025–2026 season ranked second in the country.
January 26, 1978 – Snow Day
The Wisconsin Governor’s Office issued an order to cancel classes due to a snowstorm that brought a half a foot of snow and forty-mile-per-hour wind gusts to southcentral Wisconsin. The Chancellor’s Office was notified of the governor’s order at 10:00 am, but it took until 2:30 pm for the announcement to become official. Many students showed up for classes in the morning, but many faculty members did not. Emergency shelters were set up around the city for those who were stranded by the storm.
Really interesting. Thank you!