Ask Abe Archives - People

Mary Weber ’48 asks Abe: “Is Johnny Kotz still living? And if so, where? I remember watching him back in the ’40s.”

Answer: Johnny Kotz, an All-American basketball player, passed away in May 1999. Kotz was an integral part of the UW-Madison men’s basketball team and helped the UW earn its only NCAA championship in 1941. He earned the MVP title in 1942 and led his team as its captain in 1943. Johnny Kotz was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991.

John Eimermann ’91 asks Abe: “Any truth to the rumor that rock musicians Steve Miller (of the Steve Miller Band) and Boz Scaggs were roommates at UW-Madison?”

Answer: The legendary Steve Miller ’67 of the Steve Miller Band met William Royce x’66 (a.k.a. Boz Scaggs) long before the two attended the UW. They attended the same high school in Dallas and Scaggs became a vocalist for Miller’s band, The Marksmen. The next year, Miller attended school at the UW, and during his first winter break he convinced Scaggs to come back to Madison with him. Here, they played in blues bands like The Ardells and the Fabulous Knight Trains. No one on campus has been able to verify that they were roommates, but Ben Sidran ’67, a local Madison musician who knows both Miller and Scaggs well, reports that they were both members of Chi Psi Lodge.

Marla (Bernstein) Arum '97 asks Abe: “I just heard a nasty rumor that Scanner Dan died recently — truth or very bad rumor?”

Answer: I may be old, but my eyesight has never deceived me. On May 15, I saw Scanner Dan strollin' down State Street, smiling at everyone he passed. As you know, Scanner Dan is a well-known figure on State Street, and the downtown area would not be the same without him, so we're happy to report that what you heard was indeed a bad rumor.

Mike Shalbrack '81 asks Abe: “At football games in the late '70s and early '80s (during the drums and pompon routine in the third or fourth quarter), a guy wearing overalls and a wool Badger football helmet came racing out of the stands to do a routine with the girls. What ever happened to the Portage Plumber, and why did he stop performing?”

Answer: According to the UW Department of Athletics, the Portage Plumber was Terry Westegard, a steamfitter from Portage, Wis. He appeared at home games from 1976 to 1982 to help entertain the crowd during the fourth quarter of disappointing football games. After a winning season in 1981, the Portage Plumber disappeared, presumably because the games became more interesting.

Lynn Lascola '96 asks Abe: “My memory from my student days in the mid-'90s tells me that 'Jim's Journal' was just run in The Onion at that time. Also, wasn't Scott Dikkers one of the founders of The Onion?”

Answer: Lynn, you are correct about Scott Dikkers. According to an article from CityPages, a Web magazine based in the Twin Cities, Scott Dikkers was one of many co-creators of The Onion. In 1988, he teamed up with friends Tim Keck and Chris Johnson to start this highly successful newspaper.

Initially, Dikkers contributed a few of his cartoons to The Onion. However, because he was unsure if the paper would be a success, Dikkers did not use his cartoon, “Jim's Journal” in The Onion. Instead, he left “Jim's Journal” at the Daily Cardinal where it had been running since 1987.

At its peak, “Jim's Journal” only ran in a few college newspapers. There is no indication that it ever ran in The Onion.

Sally Carnevale '79 asks Abe: “Are there any other alumni in or near Greenville, South Carolina? I am in the job market and could use any available help.”

Answer: The Wisconsin Alumni Association has a Web site that allows you to search for Badger connections in your area. The Web site includes a search engine that provides career advice, networking information and the ability to search for volunteers based on geographic and professional interests. You can also use monsterTRAK.com to access job listings and target other Badgers with your job listing. Also, CareerTools can help you find a new position or guide you in your transition into another profession.

To get more information about these services and make the most of your Badger connections, visit Career Resources.

Peter F. Herzog '82 asks Abe: “Your answer to the question in the January edition of ONline WISCONSIN about John Muir reminded me of John Muir's automatic reading machine. It was displayed in a glass case in a stairwell at the Wisconsin Historical Society. I think it automatically raised and lowered his textbooks at variable time intervals. Is my memory correct, and if so, what is the status of this amazing device?”

Answer: The combination alarm clock and study desk is one of the most famous devices created by John Muir x1863 while he was a student at the UW. Muir's marvelous invention consists of a collapsing bed designed to awaken the occupant by sliding him to the floor and lighting a lamp — a more abrupt version of today's alarm clocks. After a few minutes, intended to give Muir adequate time to dress, the desk would reveal and conceal Muir's textbooks according to a predetermined schedule for the study of each of his subjects. The machine resides on the first floor of the Wisconsin Historical Society, in the North Corridor.

In addition to being an inventor, Muir is also widely regarded as America's most famous naturalist and conservationist. As an influential wilderness explorer and writer, the tireless Scot helped teach the importance of conserving our national heritage and was instrumental in the creation of Yosemite, Sequoia and the Grand Canyon National Parks. In 1892, John Muir became the first president of the Sierra Club, an office he held until his death in 1914.

Donald A. Delwiche ´54 asks Abe: “I was a student at the Madison campus from 1949 to 1954 and remember news of the discovery of coumarin (warfarin) at that time. As I recall, a Professor Link was credited with the discovery of this compound, first used as a rat poison and later as an anti-clotting agent. President Eisenhower was given the drug. Has anything been published that outlines this discovery?”

Answer: Many articles have been published over the years chronicling the amazing discovery of warfarin by UW biochemist Karl Paul Link´22, MS´23, PhD´25. Not only is this compound a powerful rat poison, but it is also widely used as a blood thinner for treating cardiovascular disease. According to a February 2002 article published in The Biochemist, a London-based medical journal, warfarin was the eleventh-most prescribed drug in the United States in 1999. Link, who was a Wisconsin graduate and fiercely loyal to the school's cause, named his discovery after the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which had funded his work.

The discovery of warfarin was sparked by a mysterious illness that had claimed the lives of many cows in the northern prairie states of America and Canada in the early 1900s. Link observed that moldy sweet clover hay, which some local farmers were fond of feeding their cattle, contained a poisonous compound called “coumarin” that was killing the animals by causing hemorrhaging. After earning the gratitude of thousands of cattle farmers, Link assigned patent rights for his discovery to WARF, which then successfully promoted warfarin as a premier rat poison in 1948.

Scientists soon uncovered another use for this versatile compound. In 1951, the story of a man who had consumed large doses of warfarin — and survived — convinced clinical investigators that while deadly to mice and rats, warfarin could be safely consumed by humans. Soon, medical researchers began to explore the potential human healthcare possibilities of warfarin. This culminated in the first clinical study involving the compound in 1955. Providing relief to countless stroke victims worldwide, warfarin was instrumental in helping President Dwight D. Eisenhower recover from a potentially fatal heart attack in 1955.

While warfarin saved President Eisenhower's life, it may have killed former Soviet leader Josef Stalin. According to Stalin's Last Crime, a book by Russian historian Vladimir Naumov and Yale professor Jonathan Brent, the iron-fisted dictator may have died from either cerebral hemorrhaging or warfarin poisoning.

Peter Detwiler MA'72 asks Abe, “What can you tell me about John Muir's time in Madison as a UW student? When I arrived in Madison from California in 1971, to enroll in what was then called the Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration (now known as the La Follette School of Public Affairs), I heard that John Muir lived and studied in North Hall before he moved to California and founded the Sierra Club. Our graduate program was located in North Hall, and we heard that it was the original campus building. We were told that Muir had to run away from his father's Wisconsin farm to come to Madison because his father disapproved of too much book learning. Muir paid his tuition by getting up early to start the cooking and to heat fires. All classes were held in North Hall, and the faculty members (and their families) lived in the attic. True or apocryphal?”

Answer: It seems that you have the gist of the time John Muir x1863 spent in Madison. In 1860 (at the age of 22), Muir left his Marquette County home for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On the family farm, Muir was relatively isolated from the world. He rarely ventured outside a 15-mile radius around Fountain Lake Farm and was only able to attend school for two months between the ages of 11 and 22. Though he managed to be well-read, it was a constant struggle for him to find enough good books and, once found, to get them past his father, who believed the only book a person needed was the bible.

But Muir had an incredible talent for inventing that would open the door to UW-Madison and, eventually the world. At the urging of a neighbor, Muir took his “early rising machine” (a combination bunk and clock that would dump its occupant out of bed at a pre-set time) to the 1860 State Fair in Madison. While in here, Muir was envious of the students at the university. Scraping together what money he could from odd jobs, Muir enrolled and studied chemistry, math, physics, Greek, Latin, botany and geology. This wasn't a “regular course of studies” and didn't lead to a degree. Muir worked during the term and in the harvest fields in the summer to maintain himself at the university for more than two years. After that, he left for excursions that would last the rest of his life.

Muir was a resident in North Hall. The first building constructed on campus, North Hall opened in 1851. It contained lecture rooms, laboratories, a library, a chapel and living quarters — a university in a building.

Arnold Paster '66 asks Abe, “Is it true that when Frank Lloyd Wright was a student at the UW, they were designing the Science Hall building at the bottom of Bascom Hill and Wright's designs of the windows were incorporated into the final executed plans? Did Wright design anything else on the Madison campus?”

Answer: Frank Lloyd Wright was a student at the UW when Science Hall was being designed. Wright entered the university in 1884, by which time his interest in architecture was already firmly established. The university offered no courses in his chosen field, however, so he studied civil engineering and gained some practical experience working part-time at the university. This part-time job was as a craftsman under Allan D. Conover, an engineering professor who was serving as construction superintendent for campus buildings, including the new Science Hall. As a craftsman, Wright played a modest role during construction of the university's Science Hall. While there is no record specifically of Wright's design of the windows being incorporated into the final plans, it is highly probable that he did have some input into this particular aspect. However, there are not enough details in the documents to know for sure if he worked on the windows.

Wright did not design anything directly on the UW-Madison campus. He did, however, design the Unitarian Meeting House at 900 University Bay Drive near the campus. He also created plans for the Monona Terrace in 1938, which remained unused until the early 1990s when a group of citizens took action. The final project was completed in 1997. Madison also contains many other Wright-designed buildings, many of which are further from campus.

Mike Berger '70 asks Abe, "The question about Art the Window Washer made me think of another campus character who frequented the State Street area in the mid to late sixties called "Snowball." He was an older black man with a graying Afro and was a fixture in my years. Do you have any more information about him or what ever became of him?"

Answer: Over the years, State Street's illustrious characters have indeed established a legend of their own. One such person was John Riley. Riley, an older African-American man, was known to the University of Wisconsin-Madison community during the '60s and '70s as "Snowball," mainly for his white hair and beard.

According to a Capital Times article by Doug Moe, Snowball came to Madison by train from a small town in Mississippi in 1923 or 1924. He spent most of his time on State Street cleaning the windows of local businesses. Although he became a fixture on State Street, Snowball apparently lived above the Greenbush neighborhood tavern for some time.

Snowball is remembered by the UW community for walking the campus with the pockets of his overalls stuffed with ballpoint pens. It seems that Snowball was a perfectly harmless man who loved trains, clothes and betting on horses. He made many friends while in Madison and, in fact, was somewhat of a special interest to Grammy-nominated folk singer Utah Phillips.

Sadly, Snowball died in October 1975, but his likeness lived on in postcards featuring a pen-and-ink drawing by Muhamed Mousouf Aziz. Snowball is also immortalized at the Monona Terrace, where a tile was purchased in his honor in 1997.

Richard Smith '83 asks Abe, "In the early '80s there was a gentleman who frequented State Street and was affectionately known as 'Art the Window Washer.' Can you tell me more about Art? Did he benefit from the art merchandise that could be purchased in some of the State Street emporiums? Is it true that he passed away some time ago? Does Art's legacy live on on State Street, or was he just a minor player in 1980s Madison culture?"

Answer: State Street is known for its colorful characters, and many have become familiar to the UW community at large. One such character was Art Nesson, commonly referred to as "Art the Window Washer."

Art always had a bucket, some dirty newspaper, and a squeegee on hand to perform his trademark occupation: window washing on State Street. Art's window washing afforded him a beverage or couple of bucks here and there from State Street vendors and other passersby. Art wasn't always a window washer — at one time he was a dishwasher and also did some odd jobs for State Street merchants from time to time.

This window washer's claim to fame was heightened by the creation of the "What is Art? … Art is a window washer on State Street" T-shirts. These shirts were a familiar sight on the backs of UW students and Madison citizens alike from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Art seemed to migrate from place to place throughout the blocks of State Street, often setting up shop on the front stoops of houses in the blocks between State Street and where Gorham becomes University Avenue. In a 1979 Badger yearbook article, Art was quoted as saying that he was satisfied with his life. According to his obituary published in the Wisconsin State Journal, Art was born in Madison on August 9, 1937, and died at the age of 44 in Madison in April 1982. Before becoming a State Street legend, he served in the Army from 1957 to 1960. Sadly, because Art died at a young age, he was survived by both of his parents, a brother, two sisters and a number of nieces and nephews.

Kathryn Klipstein '43 asks Abe, "I have just finished reading Sinclair Lewis: An American Life, by Mark Schorer. I had a course under this author at the University of Wyoming some years ago and just happened upon this book when I was wandering through the state library recently. Schorer was raised and educated in Wisconsin. Supposedly his first book was A House Too Old. I contacted Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and rare book dealers, but can't find anything on it. I know this is difficult, but I would really like to know if you could find anything on campus. I think he was raised in Sauk City, home of August Derleth."

Answer: Mark Schorer was born in Sauk City, Wisconsin, on May 17, 1908. As the second of four children, Schorer was educated in Sauk City public schools until 1925 when he came to the UW. While studying at the UW under Helen White, Schorer began writing stories. After graduating in 1929 he went to Harvard. Later, Schorer returned to Wisconsin and was a part-time English instructor; it was then that he began to publish stories in smaller thriving magazines and work alongside his childhood friend, August Derleth, publishing articles in pulp magazines.

Schorer published his first novel, A House Too Old, in 1935. The novel, which came to represent the failure of democracy and the American dream, tells the story of Selma Hauser, a citizen of the fictional town of Sacton.

Schorer went on to publish 15 other books by 1977. He also edited a number of books and wrote a number of articles and short stories in various periodicals. Schorer's vast years of writing came to an end with his death on August 11, 1977.

A copy of Schorer's first novel can be found at the UW-Superior or UW-LaCrosse libraries.

Ned Fody MS'71 asks Abe: "Who was Thomas Brittingham and what was his relationship to the university? I know that the chancellor's house is a gift from the Brittingham family and that there's a Brittingham Park in Madison. What else?"

Answer: It is said that Thomas Brittingham was born within sight of the University of Wisconsin and never took his eyes off of it. Born into a distinguished family in Madison, Brittingham did not merely give a house, statue and park to the Madison community. Throughout his short life, (he died from a heart attack at 61 years of age), he used his talents and love for the school to nurture UW-Madison in many ways.

Thomas Brittingham is one of Abe's good friends! In 1909, Thomas Brittingham paid for the casting of the Abe statue and pedestal on Bascom Hill.

The investment polices of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation also established and guided by his son, Thomas Brittingham Jr. Besides using his financial expertise to improve fund raising, he was active in the program for foreign exchange students.

Aaron Kraus '03 asks Abe: "I was recently watching the documentary, Pumping Iron, which mainly focuses on the bodybuilding career of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film mentioned that Arnold earned a business degree from the UW. Is that true?"

Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie star-turned-governor of California whose main claim to fame is appearing in action films such as Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator, didn't graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as is mistakenly believed. According to the University of Wisconsin-Superior's alumni office, Schwarzenegger earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from that campus in 1979. They have the commencement photos to prove it!

Justin Bogan ’05 asks Abe: “Who are the most famous writers, actors, musicians, politicians, CEOs and athletes to ever attend the UW?”

Answer: With more than 350,000 alumni living around the globe and a history that predates the state of Wisconsin, UW-Madison boasts a long list of Badger stars. For a more comprehensive record, read the University of Wisconsin’s almanac.

• Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings ’18, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Yearling
• Lorraine Hansberry x’52, playwright and author of Raisin in the Sun
• Peter Greenberg ’72, NBC travel editor, Today
• Greta Van Susteren ’76, CNN legal analyst
• Joan Cusack ’84, actress (Working Girl, Sixteen Candles, Runaway Bride)
• Tom Wopat x’74, TV actor (The Dukes of Hazzard)
• David ’70 and Jerry ’72 Zucker, movie producers (Airplane, The Naked Gun)
• Steve Miller x’67, musician, Steve Miller Band
• Butch Vig ’80, producer of bands Nirvana, Garbage
• Jim Doyle ’67, Wisconsin governor
• Russ Feingold ’75, U.S. senator (Wisconsin)
• Dick Cheney PhDx’68, U.S. vice president
• Tommy Thompson ’63, JD’66, former Wisconsin governor and U.S. secretary of health and human services
• John Morgridge ’55, chair, Cisco Systems
• Steven Pogorzelski ’83, president, Monster North America
• Allan “Bud” Selig ’56, commissioner, Major League Baseball
• Mark Tauscher ’99, MS’03, offensive tackle, Green Bay Packers
• Phil Hellmuth Jr. x’86, youngest winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event

Marianne Spurrier Jackson ’79 asks Abe: “I worked at Memorial Union the summer of 1977 for Porter Butts. My job was to organize his files so that he could write a book about founding Memorial Union. What happened to Mr. Butts and did he ever write his book?”

Answer: Porter Butts ’24, MS’36 served as director of the Wisconsin Union from 1928 to 1968. He helped design the buildings and programs for more than 100 unions in the United States and around the world. Former Union director Ted Crabb reports that in 1977, Butts was busy preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Union. Around that time, he did prepare a pamphlet on the Rathskeller but the last book he authored was The College Union Idea in 1971. Butts was given UW-Madison’s highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, for his service and commitment to the university. He passed away in 1991.

Tim Kamlin ’96 asks Abe: “I am told that my grandfather attended UW, probably in the middle to late 1920s. He died before I was born, and there are no witnesses to ask. Are there records available that I could search to find some more information?”

Answer: The Wisconsin Alumni Association works with the University of Wisconsin Foundation to maintain the university’s official alumni records. You can contact the alumni association toll free at (888) WIS-ALUM to inquire about any UW-Madison graduate. You can also log in to WAA’s online alumni directory to search for current contact information.

Ellen Kohnhorst MA’57 asks Abe: “The highlight of my graduate year at Wisconsin was a seminar with Helen C. White. I realize that a building has been named for her, but I am wondering if any of her books are still in print.”

Answer: Helen Constance White PhD’24 had a storied history at the University of Wisconsin, and she made a lasting impression on many alumni over the years. Born in 1896, White started her UW career as an English instructor in 1919, and was possibly the first woman to earn a doctorate in the UW College of Letters and Science (L&S) in 1924. She continued to blaze trails in Wisconsin after earning her degree as the first woman to become a full L&S professor in 1936.

Many of White’s graduate students called her “the Purple Goddess” in playful reference to her grape-hued wardrobe, which White said had nothing to do with her devotion to the Catholic Church, but rather made it easier for her to pack for travel. White became the first woman to chair the English Department in 1955, and taught at the UW until her death in 1967. Two years later, Helen C. White Hall was built overlooking Lake Mendota, and today it houses the English Department, College Library and various other L&S department offices.

Aside from her work as a professor, White was an accomplished author. She was named runner-up for the 1934 Pulitzer Prize for her novel A Watch in the Night, which is no longer in print. However, a number of her writings are still published today, including The Mysticism of William Blake (UW Press), Victorian Prose (Prentice Hall), Tudor Books of Private Devotion (UW Press), and Tudor Books of Saints and Martyrs (UW Press). Learn more about the life and work of Helen C. White.

Steve Browender ’81 asks Abe: “I am wondering about an interesting character who at UW-Madison in the late 1970s and early ’80s — Tunnel Bob. My roommates and I encountered him one evening as we made our way through the steam tunnels underneath campus. Any idea if Tunnel Bob continues to patrol the caverns of the UW heating system?”

Answer: The UW’s steam tunnels run underground in a labyrinth that attracts many adventurous students every year. Two sets of tunnels, extending from Memorial Library to the Weisman Center and Lake Mendota to University Avenue, heat and cool campus buildings using steam.

This subterranean maze has been a fixture at UW-Madison since the late 1800s, when the first tunnels were constructed. “Tunnel Bob,” perhaps the most famous underground denizen on campus, has made it his duty to patrol the tunnels for the past four decades. Students have long been reporting sightings of the elusive tunnel-traveler, who roams underneath the streets.

Although the steam tunnels seem to some like a great place to explore, they are actually a very dangerous place to be. Aside from the threat of asbestos inhalation, a burst pipe could spray scalding steam — at 9,000 feet per second and 430 degrees. Even the legendary Tunnel Bob has suffered steam burns, and he knows the tunnels like the back of his hand. Because the tunnels are off-limits to the general public, there are also trespassing fines for those who take their chances and get caught.

Tom Serleth '71 asks Abe: "When I was a freshman there was a coed named Christine Rothschild who was murdered on campus. Was anyone ever charged with the murder?"

Answer: On May 26, 1968, Christine Rothschild, a freshman from Chicago, was found stabbed to death outside Sterling Hall on campus. Despite decades of investigation, her murder has never been solved.

You're not alone in remembering the promising UW student. On the 40th anniversary of her death, Chris Rothschild's family and friends along with UW administrators and police officers gathered for a Memorial Day ceremony at the Carillon Tower on Observatory Drive. Linda Schulko '71, MA'72 of Fort Worth, Texas, arranged the event and has continued to advocate for the investigation of her friend's death. UW police detectives remain on the case and believe the memorial ceremony could provide the "spark" they need to solve the murder.

Brooks Katzman ’73 asks Abe: ”Whenever my wife (Kathy Feeley-Katzman ’72, MS’73) and I come to Madison, if the weather is anywhere near tolerable, one of our favorite outings is to walk in the Arboretum off of Monroe Street in the Ho-Nee-Um Pond area. The setting there is beautiful. Several pristine springs bubble forth from the ground and flow into Lake Wingra and in the spring, an incredible number of migratory warblers stop there to rest on their way north.

“Right by one of these springs is a group of stones in a circle about 40 feet in diameter and a plaque that reads ‘Kenneth Jensen Wheeler Memorial Council Circle: This council ring is dedicated by his parents to the ever-living spirit of Kenneth Jensen Wheeler, 1912–1935.’ I was wondering if you know any more about it ... how he died, who he was and who his parents were.”

Answer: Kenneth Jensen Wheeler was a UW student in the 1930s. A landscape architecture major and member of Sigma Phi fraternity, he died tragically of a brain aneurysm just before graduation.

Wheeler’s grandfather, the famous Danish-born landscape architect Jens Jensen, designed the Kenneth Jensen Wheeler Council Ring in the Arboretum. The council ring motif was important to Jensen as a symbol of American democracy, with ties to the ancient rings of his native Denmark and to American Indian council fires that embraced egalitarianism. Well-known for his park designs in Chicago, Jensen was a leader of the natural design movement.

Some say that the Civilian Conservation Corps built the Wheeler Council Ring after Jensen designed it — others give credit to Kenneth’s father, Harold Wheeler. Perhaps the young men in the CCC helped by quarrying the stone nearby. Jensen corresponded with William Longenecker, then director of the Arboretum, about the plants to be used around the ring and the type of ceremony that would dedicate it. He chose native plants such as hawthorns, crabapples and wild roses because they symbolized virtues that could be attributed to his grandson.

Mark Heller ’82 asks Abe: “What ever happened to Leon Varjian and Jim Mallon who headed the student government in the late ’70s and early ’80s? I still remember fondly some of the antics they were behind: the replica of the Statue of Liberty on Lake Mendota, the 1,000 plastic pink flamingos on the grassy hill in front of the dean’s office on the first day of school, pie assassinations, the student Dial-a-Joke service, etc. I think Leon even ran for a seat on the Madison City Council and lost. He wanted to turn Madison into ‘Cheesetopia’ and put a statue of a cow on top of the Capitol building. I’m still not sure how he didn’t win the seat with ideas like that!”

Answer: The over-the-top antics you’re remembering were part of the Pail and Shovel, a student government platform masterminded by Jim Mallon ’79 and Leon Varjian. After two terms in office, the two pranksters hovered around the periphery of campus life for a few years, but eventually they went their separate ways. Varjian is a high school math teacher in New Jersey. “There isn’t a day that I don’t reach back to something I’ve experienced when I get up in front of a group, sometimes a hostile group, to give a presentation. You have to organize it all in advance. You have to have all your props, get people’s attention, do your show, and then when the show is over, you disappear. That’s teaching,” says Varjian. In 1996, he won the presidential award for excellence in science and mathematics teaching.

Mallon pursued a career in television and movie production in the Twin Cities, producing the much-acclaimed Mystery Science Theater 3000. “There was something beautiful about getting out when we did,” Mallon says. “It would’ve been hard to top it.”

Amanda Toepel ’03 and Peter Bianco ’95 wanted to know the identity of the Badger writer for the TV show Psych, airing Jan. 30, 2009. Peter asks Abe: “From last Friday’s episode, it’s clear that there is a Badger on the show’s staff. Main character Shawn Spencer is making observations about a football team to the coach — the players are named Bevell, Dayne, Fletcher, Bollinger and Calderwood. Two questions: Who is the Badger and how does a point guard end up on a football team?”

Answer: Josh Bycel ’93 is the writer for USA Network’s Psych, and guilty as charged of adding the above-mentioned former Badger athletes to the show’s script.

During the episode, “Any Given Friday Night,” main character Shawn Spencer singles out five football players and their positions on a white board: Bevell (wide receiver), Fletcher (quarterback), Dayne (center), Bollinger (cornerback) and Calderwood (running back). The references to their positions are noteworthy, as they had to be presented with different positions from the ones they actually played at the UW for legal reasons. Bycel selected these five Badgers for various reasons.

“I chose those guys because, well ... Bevell led us to the first Rose Bowl, Dayne is obviously Dayne, and Terrell Fletcher and I lived in the dorms together,” he says. “And Ty Calderwood was just one of my favorite [basketball] players.”

A dedicated and accomplished Badger, Bycel’s talents stretch far beyond the entertainment realm. When not plugging references for his fellow Badgers in the world, he serves as director of his nonprofit OneKid OneWorld, an international education and sports-based grassroots organization that aids students in rural Kenya. Bycel was honored with a 2008 Forward under 40 award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association for his efforts. You can read more about Josh and his work on his Forward under 40 Web page.

John Felder ’74 asks Abe: “How many Nobel Prize winners currently teach/radiate/diva it up at UW-Madison?”

Answer: I’m afraid that, at present, there are no Nobel laureates on UW-Madison’s faculty, unless you count Nelson Institute faculty Jonathan Patz and John Magnuson, who contributed research to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared a Nobel (for peace) with Al Gore in 2007. If you do count them, there are two. But their names aren’t on the medal.

Still, our university has collected a few pieces of Stockholm bling over the years. Some 17 alumni, faculty or former faculty have won 18 Nobel prizes throughout the UW’s history. The break-down, if you’re interested, is 11 alumni, four professors who won while on the faculty, and two people who had been on the faculty but left before winning their Nobel. Nine of those awards were in physiology or medicine, five in physics, three in chemistry and one in economics.

The most recent Badger-related Nobel laureate was Oliver Smithies, who received the 2007 honor for physiology or medicine for work that he’d done largely while on the UW faculty (from 1960 to 1988). According to his citation, he landed his Nobel “for discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells.”

The last faculty member to win one while still working at the UW was Howard Temin (of Lakeshore Path fame) in 1975, also for physiology or medicine. He did work on retroviruses and cancer research. The last alumni to win Nobels were Alan MacDiarmid MS’52, PhD’53, for chemistry (discovery of polymers that conduct electricity) and Jack St. Clair Kilby MS’50, for physics (invention of the integrated circuit). Both of those awards came in 2000. If you do the math above, you’ll realize that one of our alumni won two Nobels. That was John Bardeen ’28, MS’29. They were both in physics, the first (in 1956) for the discovery of the transistor effect, and the second (in 1972) for research in superconductivity.

Connie Knop ’58, MA’61, PhD’69 asks Abe: “Is Phil Mendel, the announcer for UW Hockey games for many years at the [Dane County] Coliseum, still alive? If so, what is he doing now? For how many years did his sonorous voice open the hockey games and introduce the players?”

Answer: Phil Mendel ’49 is still alive and well and living in Madison. For two decades, he was the public address announcer for Badger men’s hockey games and color commentator on the games’ radio and TV broadcasts, until departing that position in 1981. But while most people may know him by his voice, that wasn’t his main job. He was also a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy. Mendel is now emeritus (which is the academic way of saying retired) at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy, but he continues to work as a compounding pharmacist at Madison Pharmacy Associates. “We’re not a neighborhood drug store,” he says. “We compound specialized prescriptions for estrogens, androgens, progesterone and testosterone. We don't carry toothpaste or Trojans.”