Badger Love Stories - 1970s
Norma and I met after freshman year in 1967 and dated through sophomore and junior years. By the fall of 1969 I had been accepted into medical school, and we began to think and talk about a post graduation marriage. With the availability of my grandmother's diamond cocktail ring, I could plan to "pop the question," which I decided to do at the Parents' Day football game against Iowa on October 11, 1969. Everybody was there - my parents and grandparents, my brothers, Norma's parents. By halftime the Badgers were down 17-0 - no surprise, considering they had gone 23 games without a victory. I found Norma in the stands, got down on my knee before her father, presented the ring, and we were engaged.
Of course, the rest is history -- the dramatic fourth quarter Neil Graff to Randy Marks touchdown pass, a 23-17 victory, the end of the losing streak, thousands of delirious Badger fans dancing down State Street chanting "Rose Bowl" that night as we celebrated with a family engagement dinner at Hoffman House.
In our 37 years of marriage, although living in Milwaukee, we have often been back to UW to roam the paths of Bascom and the lakefront or to see a game at Camp Randall, sometimes with our Badger grad daughter and niece and their families, including future Badger great nephew Yonatan and grandson Leonardo. We still talk about that fall day in 1969 when we committed to a life together and the football gods finally blessed the Badgers. Coincidence? We like to think it was a karmic shift.
Ian Gilson '70
There are no more iconic landmarks at the University of Wisconsin than Bascom Hill and the Rathskeller. And both of those spots played a role in how my wife, Sheri, and I met. It was a typically cold but sunny day in Madison in February of 1971. The winter weather had driven the protesters inside and classes were actually being held. As I was trudging up the hill, I ran into my sister, who had just transferred to Wisconsin, trudging down with a young gal I didn't recognize. We stopped and chatted. I asked about her new friend. It turned out she was the Towers's rommate of someone my sister knew from her time at the University of Miami who had also transferred to the UW. My sister looked her up when she arrived and became friendly with her roommate. By a strange coincidence, Sheri was from Florida herself. It wasn't magic just yet but a girl from Florida who wanted to see snow and feel cold struck me as someone I should get to know. We parted for the moment.
Just a few days later, I was wandering through the Union looking for some respite from the bitter winds when I headed into the Rathskeller. There sat that same girl from Bascom Hill wearing a red flannel shirt fitting in quite well among the long-haired boys and dressed -down girls (can I even call them boys and girls?). After a few awkward moments, I came up with a brilliant line never tried before: "What's your major?" My wife-to wife to be smiled and said, simply, "social work." A do gooder, I thought. Just what I like! and so it began.
And there isn't a day that goes by when we visit Madison (first for one daughter who graduated a few years ago or, now, to see our son, who is a freshman there), that I don't think about those cold, wintry days when not only revolution but love was also in the air!
David Tabacoff '71
My wife and I met at The Pub in September of 1970, and on our first date I decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather. We both lived on Langdon Street, so we walked from there to Vilas Park Zoo and then on to the UW Arboretum. I had brought a bottle of wine (with a real cork in it) which we shared while sitting on a tree limb and enjoying the sunset and great scenery. I neglected to bring any glasses, so we had to drink the wine in "pass the bottle" fashion. A passer-by took our picture which we are so pleased to have as a memory of that day (and it's attached). From there we walked back to State Street and had a great pizza at Gino's. Things progressed from there and here we are happily married 34 years later. We are still avid Badger fans and regularly come back for Homecoming weekend, despite living in Florida. It's all about the Wisconsin tradition!
Tom W. Jones '71 and Patricia K. Jones '72
North Venice, FL
I met my husband at the UW. I attended a party of a mutual friend where we met and began dating. Our favorite restaurant was Gino's for spaghetti and meatballs, and I worked a the Kollege Klub as a popcorn girl. The most memorable event came after he picked me up in his mom's '57 Chevy from the alley behind the Physics Lab where I had just finished a lab that was due soon. That was at 10 PM. The next morning we learned that Robert Fassnacht had died from a bomb blowing up the Physics Lab! I had escaped a bomb. My husband died in 1993 from cancer, but I have fond memories of our days on the campus.
Lonnie Post Honnors '72
My future wife, Jane F. Blumgarten , and I met at a meeting of the students accepted to study at Aix-en-Provence, France the next fall.The meeting was held in Van Hise Hall which had been badly damaged in the rioting and student strikers were picketing. Jane was in a peasant blouse and it was for me love at first sight. I subsequently learned ,however, that she had an English boyfriend who I would later meet in Aix. Thankfully they broke up shortly thereafter and I got Jane on the rebound so to speak.We've been married since 1975 and have two sons who have both graduated from UW. I hail from Verona, WI and Jane from Manhattan and Connecticut. I suspect there are many such inter-regional mariages between UW students.I still recall vividly though the first time that Jane met my mother and sister at Lombardino's on a Friday evening. She ordered spaghetti and not the fried fish. What a shock.
Mark J. Miller '72, MA'73, PhD'78
My husband and I met at UW Madison on a fix up 39 years ago. My pledge "mom" at AEPhi wanted me to go out with her boyfriend's roommate...so after putting off this date for 2 months we finally attended a typical frat party. What made this date remarkable* were the next days phone call follow ups by my pledge mom Linda Goldschmidt inquiring of each of us how the date was. We both said fine but she told each of us that the other person had a fabulous time and couldn't wait to go out again. So we did and we've been married for 36 years and have had 2 of our 3 kids attend UW. And, all 3 of our kids will be living in Madison by June, 2008. Needless to say we are thrilled to make the drive from Des Moines, Iowa to visit them.
Karen (Abrams) & Arny Engman (class of 72) * my husband would probably say the bright green leather mini skirt that I wore on that first date was the clincher!
My boyfriend and I had both transferred to Madison in 1970/71. We were thrown into the chaos of the Viet Nam protests. Every day was a struggle to keep a wary eye on the protests and riots, the tear gas and panic. It was a very stressful way to try to get a degree.
One beautiful April afternoon, Tim surprised me in front of the St. James Center on University Avenue (where my English class had been relocated after the student strikes closed Bascom Hall). He sat me on the stone wall, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him, diamond ring in hand. Even though we had been dating since we were 16, this was still a big surprise, especially in the midst of all the terror and sadness that belonged to those days. I happily agreed, and we were married at St. Paul's Chapel on State Street. We recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. Badger glue is a strong bond!
Sue '72 and Tim '72 Reilly
It was 1974-75, the war was just ending and Nixon had just left office in disgrace and the "Pail & Shovel Party" was just getting organized. It was a strange but great time to be on campus. It was my Freshman / Sophomore years and I was in the school of Integrated Liberal Studies (ILS). It was a wonderful 'small' school within the University. Friendships were easy to make within the 'walls' of the ILS student body and several of my most memorable first dates on campus was with fellow ILS'ers. Some were serious, some just plain fun. Your email call for 'dating stories' brought back great memories of those friends and 'dates'. Thank you.
Patrick D. Kennedy
My husband was a graduate student in Philosophy in 1970-2. We double dated with a couple, Dan Murray, also in philosophy, and his future wife Stephanie. We found a $5 bill on the street. It was as if we'd found a million dollars. We went for pizza at a place off State St. Sadly, Dan Murray is no longer with us, but that evening is one of the most memorable we have of our time in Madison.
Sally Reed and Craig Sautter MA'73
One night in 1974 I was out on a date with a guy who asked me how my Women's Study class on Bascom hill went that day. I told him it got interrupted by cries from outside and when the class went to look out the window a group of men wearing nothing but jean jackets were running down the hill. He exclaimed: "Oh so you saw me!" That was definitely our last date!
B. J. Wells '74
During my senior year, a good friend of mine said, "Hey Riz, you really should meet my girlfriend's roommate. I think you might like her." She was a regular church goer, so I went to St. James to take a look. I liked what I saw, especially the long auburn hair. I gave her a call and we agreed to meet at Union South. She beat me 2 out of 3 at ping pong. The rest of the evening was not memorable. I still liked what I saw, so I gave her a call and asked her out on a real date. She told me that she had a toothache. As I hung up the phone I was thinking, "Yea right, a toothache. I don't need this." A few days later I found out that she actually had a very painful root canal. I waited a week or so and gave her another call. She agreed to a date. We went to dinner at Pino's (used to be fine Italian dining on the corner of Regent and Park) and a movie. We saw The Great Gatsby. Not a great movie, but a very good time. That was May 1, 1974. We were married on September 11, 1976. Yes, that's right. The twin towers fell on our silver wedding anniversary, while we were in church getting a blessing from our priest. We're still happily married with two great kids and still living in Madison. And to think it all started with a game of ping pong, a toothache, Italian food and a Robert Redford movie.
David Rizzo '74 and Barbara Teasdale Rizzo '75
I was a Mechanical Engineering major in the November 1974. My neighbor, and best friend from back home, was Mike Rose. Mike was an Electrical Engineering major. Every Friday afternoon we met, at 2:10 (i.e. a 2:10'er) along with several other engineering students. The subject was beer and what better place to discuss this than at the Amber Grid. Larry Van Epps, an Electrical Engineer, was married to a Nurse. On Friday November 1, 1974 Larry had his wife bring a few of her nurse co-workers to the Amber Grid to join our class. Larry and his wife planned to introduce one of the nurses, Ruth Perkins, to my best friend Mike Rose. Well Ruth and I hit it off. We went out later that night, Saturday night, and on Sunday.
During lunch on Monday at the student union, Larry mentioned he & Kathy were going to see the movie Deep Throat, which was playing on campus. He asked if Ruth and I would like to go. Well I thought about it and said I would call Ruth and ask her. Ruth was all excited about going out again until she asked what was playing, and I said Deep Throat. We decided to go anyway. To make a long story short we were engaged within 8 weeks and married in August 1975. We have been happily married now for going on 33 years, we have three grown children, one granddaughter, and looking foreword to spending time together during retirement. We were sad to see the Amber Grid close, but always look foreword to return trips to Madison and the University of Wisconsin.
Bruce W. Gibson '75
Shady Shores, Texas
Serendipity II? It was the fall of 1972 and I was returning to Madison after a semester off. I wanted to purchase football tickets with a group but my dorm roommates had already purchased theirs the previous spring. I got in contact with some friends from my hometown that were attending UW that fall for the first time. They sent one individual from their group to meet me so that we could purchase the tickets together. I was told to meet a certain girl on the north steps of Union South right near where the railroad tracks cross Johnson Street. I followed my instructions and went to the entrance I thought was correct but didn't see anyone waiting for me. Finally I tried one of the other entrances and there she was waiting. As I approached I saw a very attractive young lady sitting on the steps. As I got closer I noticed she looked over and her calm demeanor seemed to change to apprehension. I walked up to her and asked her name and identified myself. She looked somewhat relieved and we walked over to Camp Randall and bought the tickets. During this time of my college career I tended to party pretty heavy up until kickoff at the apartment I lived in on Orchard Street and since it was only a few blocks from the stadium I never headed over for the game until just before kickoff. I never realized it at the time, but when I got up to my seat in the upper deck the group I sat with always pushed me to the end as far away from them as they could send me. Apparently, no one was thrilled to watch the game with me! To bring the story to conclusion, I eventually, "some months later"Â worked up the courage to ask out the unfortunate lady who was forced to go along and buy the tickets with me. She eventually recognized some positive traits in me and we have now been married for almost 33 years.
Tom Baldischwiler '75
Having the unparalleled opportunity to work in the Liz Waters cafeteria for 4 years, coed interpersonal relationship building took on a whole new meaning. Whether it was co-workers, residents or weekend visits by their friends and even the daughters of our friendly state workers; date night experiences were profoundly wonderful. So thanks to Janet, Lynn, Sue, Peggy, Dawn, Mary, Anna, Cindy, Lisa, Judy, Liz, Terri, Gretchen, Kathy, and many others -- thanks for the very fond and special memories.
J. Semrad '75
Leftovers Unite Our story is unique, not so much for where we met, but for how we met. While attending UW-Madison's School of Nursing, I shared a Spring Street apartment with two friends. Their two boyfriends were students at UW-Eau Claire; neither of them owned a vehicle. One of their buddies in Eau Claire had a car and hailed from Cambridge, WI, just outside of Madison. When the four of them wanted to get together, it seemed like a great plan to have "Mike" drop the two guys off at our abode on his way home.
That is exactly what happened, but for some reason, Mike came inside and he and I met. Conversation was comfortable and seemed to come easily right away. A most interesting discovery, and the fact that connected us in an unusual way, involved our mothers. As we shared bits of family trivia with one another, we realized that our moms were born the same year and were both nurses trained at the Methodist School of Nursing in Madison. We thought they might know each other! Well, indeed, our mothers did know each other and have had many stories to share over the years. Mike and I have always referred to ourselves as the "leftovers" from that chance meeting. But over thirty-two years of marriage later, it seems things could not have worked out better.
Melanie Gates Rumpf '75
Sometime around 1970 I was attending the UW Madison but living off campus. When I got off of the bus at Lot 60 I noticed a car that I recognized was having a difficult time starting. It was very cold, maybe below zero. I did know the cars owner, but his sister was trying unsuccessfully to start it. She was also a student living off campus and using her brother's car. After asking if I could help, I lifted the hood, removed the air cleaner and opened the carbuerator "butterfly" and the flooded car started immediately. As you know, that would not be possible in these days of computerized automobiles. I do not remember the details after that day, but we did start to see each other based on that chance meeting. We have been married since 1972. Thank you Lot 60!
Sam Simon '76
During my senior year, a journalism student from my Theater History class asked me out. I agreed to go with him to see an on-campus movie, but regretted it soon after. The night of our date I shared my lack of enthusiasm with my roommate and she devised what seemed like a brilliant plan for getting out of it; we'd simply turn the volume on the stereo so loud that we wouldn't be able to hear his knock. With the stereo cranked, we sat down at the kitchen table enjoy a beer and congratulate ourselves on our clever scheme. Suddenly he appeared out of nowhere. We had inadvertently neglected to lock the front door, so when we didn't hear his knock he walked right in!
Lynn Ratledge Peters '77
It began with a drink at the KK. But it was the conversation between the two of us that was intoxicating. It was getting late, so we headed back together towards our lakeshore dorms. A fresh February snowfall covered the campus that cold, moonlit evening. As we reached our dorms, we didn't want to say good-bye. So we just kept walking and talking--all the way out to Lot 60 along the lakeshore path. Unacceptably risky these days, but perfectly natural at the time. We went into the heated, enclosed bus shelter building to warm up. And then it happened--our first kiss. That first date led to many more, to marriage and a wonderful family including an about-to-graduate Badger daughter. I treasure the memory of that first campus walk together.
Bill Gardner '78
I have been married to a UW-Madison alumni (same graduation year) for over 20 years. We met in Manhattan on a blind date and did not know each other while attending UW-Madison . I knew her roommate who did not particularly like me. I wonder if my wife and I would have gone out if we did meet at college (smile).
Steve Safran '78
New City, New York
It was September 1, 1976 and registration week. I was a sophomore living in Kronshage and a number of us had chipped in for a 4 half barrel party (allowed in the dorms back then). My wife, Sue, was a freshman living in Chad. It was her first night in Madison. She and her roommates went to a friend's party but had left because it was boring. They walked by Kronshage, heard loud music and saw a keg in the window. They decided that this was what they were hoping a Madison party would be and decided to come in. It was a great party. A few weeks later we had our first kiss - on Bascom Hill. Three years later we were married which is now 28+ years ago. We have four boys, the first graduated from Madison last year, the second is a junior and the 3rd and 4th intend to be Madison graduates as well. We have been season football ticket holders for 15+ years and attend as many basketball and hockey games as we can.
John Groskopf '79, MBA'80 and Sue Dolata Groskopf '80
In the fall of 1976, I started at UW Madison in the school of pharmacy. This was my first venture away from the woman I had been dating since highschool. We had a few opportunities to get together during the fall semester and the most memorable was during homecoming weekend as I had an extra ticket for the game. Lori would take the Badger bus up to Madison and we would take in the game and go out for a nice dinner on the square at the Concord Hotel restaurant. Little did she know that I had planned to ask her the big question that night at dinner. But the more interesting part of the story lies in the fact that she was asked to bring a package up for my roommate from his mom in Milwaukee. When she arrived she gave the package to my roommate and asked what it was. His reply was underwear. She was taken a back a bit as to why it would be wrapped in a box let alone why she was asked to bring up underwear for him. His comment to cover for this was -- that was his mom -- what else could he say. What you may ask was in the package and how does this play a part in a Date Night story?? Well, actually it fit the plan rather well as she brought her own engagement ring from Milwaukee in that box. We had shopped around a little and found a ring that we liked a few weeks back. I worked with the jeweler by phone to get the piece made so she was not even aware that this was in the works. We had a great time at the game and while walking to dinner we were again "window shopping" at a couple of the jewelry stores for -- you guessed it -- engagement rings. After dinner I had the chance to spring the question. For some this would be a great ending to the story to say all went well but alas there is one more item. I was lucky that the answer was yes - for I had also planned a surprise engagement party back at the dorm room -- including friends, parents, and all. You guessed it = a great deal of enjoyment for all including a few choice *%&$ expletive words from my fiance when she opened the door to the dorm room and everyone yelled surprise. That was over 30 years ago -- we are still together. (Our daughter born in Madison 7 years later while we were both grad students is now a grad student at UW.)
Elliott '79, MS'83, PhD'86 and Lori '81, MS'83 Sogol
Chapel Hill, North Carolina PS will she be surprised again if this makes the Badger Insider ???
My husband and I dated in our final years of college... And of course, most dates ended somewhere on state street... But the two most romantic were Porta Bella's back room with the Victorian Furniture and then Paul's club with the Oak tree in the middle of the room....
Michelle ('79, '86) & John Byrne ('80)
Of course, the rest is history -- the dramatic fourth quarter Neil Graff to Randy Marks touchdown pass, a 23-17 victory, the end of the losing streak, thousands of delirious Badger fans dancing down State Street chanting "Rose Bowl" that night as we celebrated with a family engagement dinner at Hoffman House.
In our 37 years of marriage, although living in Milwaukee, we have often been back to UW to roam the paths of Bascom and the lakefront or to see a game at Camp Randall, sometimes with our Badger grad daughter and niece and their families, including future Badger great nephew Yonatan and grandson Leonardo. We still talk about that fall day in 1969 when we committed to a life together and the football gods finally blessed the Badgers. Coincidence? We like to think it was a karmic shift.
Ian Gilson '70
There are no more iconic landmarks at the University of Wisconsin than Bascom Hill and the Rathskeller. And both of those spots played a role in how my wife, Sheri, and I met. It was a typically cold but sunny day in Madison in February of 1971. The winter weather had driven the protesters inside and classes were actually being held. As I was trudging up the hill, I ran into my sister, who had just transferred to Wisconsin, trudging down with a young gal I didn't recognize. We stopped and chatted. I asked about her new friend. It turned out she was the Towers's rommate of someone my sister knew from her time at the University of Miami who had also transferred to the UW. My sister looked her up when she arrived and became friendly with her roommate. By a strange coincidence, Sheri was from Florida herself. It wasn't magic just yet but a girl from Florida who wanted to see snow and feel cold struck me as someone I should get to know. We parted for the moment.
Just a few days later, I was wandering through the Union looking for some respite from the bitter winds when I headed into the Rathskeller. There sat that same girl from Bascom Hill wearing a red flannel shirt fitting in quite well among the long-haired boys and dressed -down girls (can I even call them boys and girls?). After a few awkward moments, I came up with a brilliant line never tried before: "What's your major?" My wife-to wife to be smiled and said, simply, "social work." A do gooder, I thought. Just what I like! and so it began.
And there isn't a day that goes by when we visit Madison (first for one daughter who graduated a few years ago or, now, to see our son, who is a freshman there), that I don't think about those cold, wintry days when not only revolution but love was also in the air!
David Tabacoff '71
My wife and I met at The Pub in September of 1970, and on our first date I decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather. We both lived on Langdon Street, so we walked from there to Vilas Park Zoo and then on to the UW Arboretum. I had brought a bottle of wine (with a real cork in it) which we shared while sitting on a tree limb and enjoying the sunset and great scenery. I neglected to bring any glasses, so we had to drink the wine in "pass the bottle" fashion. A passer-by took our picture which we are so pleased to have as a memory of that day (and it's attached). From there we walked back to State Street and had a great pizza at Gino's. Things progressed from there and here we are happily married 34 years later. We are still avid Badger fans and regularly come back for Homecoming weekend, despite living in Florida. It's all about the Wisconsin tradition!
Tom W. Jones '71 and Patricia K. Jones '72
North Venice, FL
I met my husband at the UW. I attended a party of a mutual friend where we met and began dating. Our favorite restaurant was Gino's for spaghetti and meatballs, and I worked a the Kollege Klub as a popcorn girl. The most memorable event came after he picked me up in his mom's '57 Chevy from the alley behind the Physics Lab where I had just finished a lab that was due soon. That was at 10 PM. The next morning we learned that Robert Fassnacht had died from a bomb blowing up the Physics Lab! I had escaped a bomb. My husband died in 1993 from cancer, but I have fond memories of our days on the campus.
Lonnie Post Honnors '72
My future wife, Jane F. Blumgarten , and I met at a meeting of the students accepted to study at Aix-en-Provence, France the next fall.The meeting was held in Van Hise Hall which had been badly damaged in the rioting and student strikers were picketing. Jane was in a peasant blouse and it was for me love at first sight. I subsequently learned ,however, that she had an English boyfriend who I would later meet in Aix. Thankfully they broke up shortly thereafter and I got Jane on the rebound so to speak.We've been married since 1975 and have two sons who have both graduated from UW. I hail from Verona, WI and Jane from Manhattan and Connecticut. I suspect there are many such inter-regional mariages between UW students.I still recall vividly though the first time that Jane met my mother and sister at Lombardino's on a Friday evening. She ordered spaghetti and not the fried fish. What a shock.
Mark J. Miller '72, MA'73, PhD'78
My husband and I met at UW Madison on a fix up 39 years ago. My pledge "mom" at AEPhi wanted me to go out with her boyfriend's roommate...so after putting off this date for 2 months we finally attended a typical frat party. What made this date remarkable* were the next days phone call follow ups by my pledge mom Linda Goldschmidt inquiring of each of us how the date was. We both said fine but she told each of us that the other person had a fabulous time and couldn't wait to go out again. So we did and we've been married for 36 years and have had 2 of our 3 kids attend UW. And, all 3 of our kids will be living in Madison by June, 2008. Needless to say we are thrilled to make the drive from Des Moines, Iowa to visit them.
Karen (Abrams) & Arny Engman (class of 72) * my husband would probably say the bright green leather mini skirt that I wore on that first date was the clincher!
My boyfriend and I had both transferred to Madison in 1970/71. We were thrown into the chaos of the Viet Nam protests. Every day was a struggle to keep a wary eye on the protests and riots, the tear gas and panic. It was a very stressful way to try to get a degree.
One beautiful April afternoon, Tim surprised me in front of the St. James Center on University Avenue (where my English class had been relocated after the student strikes closed Bascom Hall). He sat me on the stone wall, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him, diamond ring in hand. Even though we had been dating since we were 16, this was still a big surprise, especially in the midst of all the terror and sadness that belonged to those days. I happily agreed, and we were married at St. Paul's Chapel on State Street. We recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. Badger glue is a strong bond!
Sue '72 and Tim '72 Reilly
It was 1974-75, the war was just ending and Nixon had just left office in disgrace and the "Pail & Shovel Party" was just getting organized. It was a strange but great time to be on campus. It was my Freshman / Sophomore years and I was in the school of Integrated Liberal Studies (ILS). It was a wonderful 'small' school within the University. Friendships were easy to make within the 'walls' of the ILS student body and several of my most memorable first dates on campus was with fellow ILS'ers. Some were serious, some just plain fun. Your email call for 'dating stories' brought back great memories of those friends and 'dates'. Thank you.
Patrick D. Kennedy
My husband was a graduate student in Philosophy in 1970-2. We double dated with a couple, Dan Murray, also in philosophy, and his future wife Stephanie. We found a $5 bill on the street. It was as if we'd found a million dollars. We went for pizza at a place off State St. Sadly, Dan Murray is no longer with us, but that evening is one of the most memorable we have of our time in Madison.
Sally Reed and Craig Sautter MA'73
One night in 1974 I was out on a date with a guy who asked me how my Women's Study class on Bascom hill went that day. I told him it got interrupted by cries from outside and when the class went to look out the window a group of men wearing nothing but jean jackets were running down the hill. He exclaimed: "Oh so you saw me!" That was definitely our last date!
B. J. Wells '74
During my senior year, a good friend of mine said, "Hey Riz, you really should meet my girlfriend's roommate. I think you might like her." She was a regular church goer, so I went to St. James to take a look. I liked what I saw, especially the long auburn hair. I gave her a call and we agreed to meet at Union South. She beat me 2 out of 3 at ping pong. The rest of the evening was not memorable. I still liked what I saw, so I gave her a call and asked her out on a real date. She told me that she had a toothache. As I hung up the phone I was thinking, "Yea right, a toothache. I don't need this." A few days later I found out that she actually had a very painful root canal. I waited a week or so and gave her another call. She agreed to a date. We went to dinner at Pino's (used to be fine Italian dining on the corner of Regent and Park) and a movie. We saw The Great Gatsby. Not a great movie, but a very good time. That was May 1, 1974. We were married on September 11, 1976. Yes, that's right. The twin towers fell on our silver wedding anniversary, while we were in church getting a blessing from our priest. We're still happily married with two great kids and still living in Madison. And to think it all started with a game of ping pong, a toothache, Italian food and a Robert Redford movie.
David Rizzo '74 and Barbara Teasdale Rizzo '75
I was a Mechanical Engineering major in the November 1974. My neighbor, and best friend from back home, was Mike Rose. Mike was an Electrical Engineering major. Every Friday afternoon we met, at 2:10 (i.e. a 2:10'er) along with several other engineering students. The subject was beer and what better place to discuss this than at the Amber Grid. Larry Van Epps, an Electrical Engineer, was married to a Nurse. On Friday November 1, 1974 Larry had his wife bring a few of her nurse co-workers to the Amber Grid to join our class. Larry and his wife planned to introduce one of the nurses, Ruth Perkins, to my best friend Mike Rose. Well Ruth and I hit it off. We went out later that night, Saturday night, and on Sunday.
During lunch on Monday at the student union, Larry mentioned he & Kathy were going to see the movie Deep Throat, which was playing on campus. He asked if Ruth and I would like to go. Well I thought about it and said I would call Ruth and ask her. Ruth was all excited about going out again until she asked what was playing, and I said Deep Throat. We decided to go anyway. To make a long story short we were engaged within 8 weeks and married in August 1975. We have been happily married now for going on 33 years, we have three grown children, one granddaughter, and looking foreword to spending time together during retirement. We were sad to see the Amber Grid close, but always look foreword to return trips to Madison and the University of Wisconsin.
Bruce W. Gibson '75
Shady Shores, Texas
Serendipity II? It was the fall of 1972 and I was returning to Madison after a semester off. I wanted to purchase football tickets with a group but my dorm roommates had already purchased theirs the previous spring. I got in contact with some friends from my hometown that were attending UW that fall for the first time. They sent one individual from their group to meet me so that we could purchase the tickets together. I was told to meet a certain girl on the north steps of Union South right near where the railroad tracks cross Johnson Street. I followed my instructions and went to the entrance I thought was correct but didn't see anyone waiting for me. Finally I tried one of the other entrances and there she was waiting. As I approached I saw a very attractive young lady sitting on the steps. As I got closer I noticed she looked over and her calm demeanor seemed to change to apprehension. I walked up to her and asked her name and identified myself. She looked somewhat relieved and we walked over to Camp Randall and bought the tickets. During this time of my college career I tended to party pretty heavy up until kickoff at the apartment I lived in on Orchard Street and since it was only a few blocks from the stadium I never headed over for the game until just before kickoff. I never realized it at the time, but when I got up to my seat in the upper deck the group I sat with always pushed me to the end as far away from them as they could send me. Apparently, no one was thrilled to watch the game with me! To bring the story to conclusion, I eventually, "some months later"Â worked up the courage to ask out the unfortunate lady who was forced to go along and buy the tickets with me. She eventually recognized some positive traits in me and we have now been married for almost 33 years.
Tom Baldischwiler '75
Having the unparalleled opportunity to work in the Liz Waters cafeteria for 4 years, coed interpersonal relationship building took on a whole new meaning. Whether it was co-workers, residents or weekend visits by their friends and even the daughters of our friendly state workers; date night experiences were profoundly wonderful. So thanks to Janet, Lynn, Sue, Peggy, Dawn, Mary, Anna, Cindy, Lisa, Judy, Liz, Terri, Gretchen, Kathy, and many others -- thanks for the very fond and special memories.
J. Semrad '75
Leftovers Unite Our story is unique, not so much for where we met, but for how we met. While attending UW-Madison's School of Nursing, I shared a Spring Street apartment with two friends. Their two boyfriends were students at UW-Eau Claire; neither of them owned a vehicle. One of their buddies in Eau Claire had a car and hailed from Cambridge, WI, just outside of Madison. When the four of them wanted to get together, it seemed like a great plan to have "Mike" drop the two guys off at our abode on his way home.
That is exactly what happened, but for some reason, Mike came inside and he and I met. Conversation was comfortable and seemed to come easily right away. A most interesting discovery, and the fact that connected us in an unusual way, involved our mothers. As we shared bits of family trivia with one another, we realized that our moms were born the same year and were both nurses trained at the Methodist School of Nursing in Madison. We thought they might know each other! Well, indeed, our mothers did know each other and have had many stories to share over the years. Mike and I have always referred to ourselves as the "leftovers" from that chance meeting. But over thirty-two years of marriage later, it seems things could not have worked out better.
Melanie Gates Rumpf '75
Sometime around 1970 I was attending the UW Madison but living off campus. When I got off of the bus at Lot 60 I noticed a car that I recognized was having a difficult time starting. It was very cold, maybe below zero. I did know the cars owner, but his sister was trying unsuccessfully to start it. She was also a student living off campus and using her brother's car. After asking if I could help, I lifted the hood, removed the air cleaner and opened the carbuerator "butterfly" and the flooded car started immediately. As you know, that would not be possible in these days of computerized automobiles. I do not remember the details after that day, but we did start to see each other based on that chance meeting. We have been married since 1972. Thank you Lot 60!
Sam Simon '76
During my senior year, a journalism student from my Theater History class asked me out. I agreed to go with him to see an on-campus movie, but regretted it soon after. The night of our date I shared my lack of enthusiasm with my roommate and she devised what seemed like a brilliant plan for getting out of it; we'd simply turn the volume on the stereo so loud that we wouldn't be able to hear his knock. With the stereo cranked, we sat down at the kitchen table enjoy a beer and congratulate ourselves on our clever scheme. Suddenly he appeared out of nowhere. We had inadvertently neglected to lock the front door, so when we didn't hear his knock he walked right in!
Lynn Ratledge Peters '77
It began with a drink at the KK. But it was the conversation between the two of us that was intoxicating. It was getting late, so we headed back together towards our lakeshore dorms. A fresh February snowfall covered the campus that cold, moonlit evening. As we reached our dorms, we didn't want to say good-bye. So we just kept walking and talking--all the way out to Lot 60 along the lakeshore path. Unacceptably risky these days, but perfectly natural at the time. We went into the heated, enclosed bus shelter building to warm up. And then it happened--our first kiss. That first date led to many more, to marriage and a wonderful family including an about-to-graduate Badger daughter. I treasure the memory of that first campus walk together.
Bill Gardner '78
I have been married to a UW-Madison alumni (same graduation year) for over 20 years. We met in Manhattan on a blind date and did not know each other while attending UW-Madison . I knew her roommate who did not particularly like me. I wonder if my wife and I would have gone out if we did meet at college (smile).
Steve Safran '78
New City, New York
It was September 1, 1976 and registration week. I was a sophomore living in Kronshage and a number of us had chipped in for a 4 half barrel party (allowed in the dorms back then). My wife, Sue, was a freshman living in Chad. It was her first night in Madison. She and her roommates went to a friend's party but had left because it was boring. They walked by Kronshage, heard loud music and saw a keg in the window. They decided that this was what they were hoping a Madison party would be and decided to come in. It was a great party. A few weeks later we had our first kiss - on Bascom Hill. Three years later we were married which is now 28+ years ago. We have four boys, the first graduated from Madison last year, the second is a junior and the 3rd and 4th intend to be Madison graduates as well. We have been season football ticket holders for 15+ years and attend as many basketball and hockey games as we can.
John Groskopf '79, MBA'80 and Sue Dolata Groskopf '80
In the fall of 1976, I started at UW Madison in the school of pharmacy. This was my first venture away from the woman I had been dating since highschool. We had a few opportunities to get together during the fall semester and the most memorable was during homecoming weekend as I had an extra ticket for the game. Lori would take the Badger bus up to Madison and we would take in the game and go out for a nice dinner on the square at the Concord Hotel restaurant. Little did she know that I had planned to ask her the big question that night at dinner. But the more interesting part of the story lies in the fact that she was asked to bring a package up for my roommate from his mom in Milwaukee. When she arrived she gave the package to my roommate and asked what it was. His reply was underwear. She was taken a back a bit as to why it would be wrapped in a box let alone why she was asked to bring up underwear for him. His comment to cover for this was -- that was his mom -- what else could he say. What you may ask was in the package and how does this play a part in a Date Night story?? Well, actually it fit the plan rather well as she brought her own engagement ring from Milwaukee in that box. We had shopped around a little and found a ring that we liked a few weeks back. I worked with the jeweler by phone to get the piece made so she was not even aware that this was in the works. We had a great time at the game and while walking to dinner we were again "window shopping" at a couple of the jewelry stores for -- you guessed it -- engagement rings. After dinner I had the chance to spring the question. For some this would be a great ending to the story to say all went well but alas there is one more item. I was lucky that the answer was yes - for I had also planned a surprise engagement party back at the dorm room -- including friends, parents, and all. You guessed it = a great deal of enjoyment for all including a few choice *%&$ expletive words from my fiance when she opened the door to the dorm room and everyone yelled surprise. That was over 30 years ago -- we are still together. (Our daughter born in Madison 7 years later while we were both grad students is now a grad student at UW.)
Elliott '79, MS'83, PhD'86 and Lori '81, MS'83 Sogol
Chapel Hill, North Carolina PS will she be surprised again if this makes the Badger Insider ???
My husband and I dated in our final years of college... And of course, most dates ended somewhere on state street... But the two most romantic were Porta Bella's back room with the Victorian Furniture and then Paul's club with the Oak tree in the middle of the room....
Michelle ('79, '86) & John Byrne ('80)
Events
- Twin Cities - 2008 Football Viewings - August 30
- Around the World - November 4
- Red Shirt Fundraiser - November 10
- Egypt - November 13
