Alumni Start Literacy Foundation
- Apr. 05, 2022
My wife, Jeanne, and I met in my sophomore year, married in my junior year, and graduated together in 1967 with two sons. Jeanne and I were the first of three generations to be able to read before we went to school, and literacy has been a boon to all three generations. Being aware that according to a national study 30 percent of all high school graduates in America cannot read above the third-grade level, and children in the lowest 40 percent economic level have no books at home, we decided to “pay it forward.” After giving $500 to the Fort Atkinson School District the first year, able to provide over 500 books to kids in summer school, we started a 501(c)3 foundation called Liberty Through Literacy and have partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Now, almost 250 children in the 53538 zip code get a book mailed to them each month from birth to age 5. We also give books to kids in summer school because of reading limitations.
More Alumni Notes
Life feels especially full this year – continuing to work as a financial advisor with Edward Jones, partnering with clients helping them achieve their goals. Proudly looking forward to my son’s graduation from the Air Force Academy and upcoming fl...
Joseph Landon Coleman, of Superior, Colorado, passed away on February 4, 2026, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 59. Joe was born April 1, 1966, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Walter and Ann Coleman. His childh...
Henry “Al” Engler ’61 passed away peacefully at home in Chapel Hill, NC, on January 30, 2026, surrounded by family. He will be remembered for his q...
Having gotten back into fishing in 1992, I (William Schultz ’73) caught and released my first smallmouth bass in May of 1994. Having kept a log during my time as a Badger swimmer and Hall of Fame racquetball career, I keep one for my fishing. So, ...
Samantha Rude ’18, MS’20 recently completed her PhD in plant pathology at the University of Minnesota. Sam has relocated to Sacramento, CA, to become a research scientist at California Seed and Plant Labs, where she specializes in the development ...
Kenneth M. Kapp MS’64, PhD’67, a former UW–Milwaukee mathematics professor and researcher, has been writing for a number of years. His essays have ...
After six years of hosting the Lead Balloon podcast about the adventures of professional storytellers, Wisconsin-based creator Dusty Weis ’07 has b...
Matthew Conley ’14 is now a senior associate and new part owner at Apex Engineers. A member of the firm’s Denver team since 2016, Conley is a go-to...
After working in international development for more than 25 years, Kristen P. Patterson MS’04 founded Sacred Journey Death Doula in late 2025. Based in Arlington, Virginia, Sacred Journey centers connection, compassion, reverence, and joy for indi...
For David Fein ’89, the formation of his law firm represents more than a professional milestone — it reflects a lifetime shaped by place, perspecti...
Life feels especially full this year – continuing to work as a financial advisor with Edward Jones, partnering with clients helping them achieve their goals. Proudly looking forward to my son’s graduation from the Air Force Academy and upcoming fl...
Joseph Landon Coleman, of Superior, Colorado, passed away on February 4, 2026, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 59. Joe was born April 1, 1966, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Walter and Ann Coleman. His childh...
Henry “Al” Engler ’61 passed away peacefully at home in Chapel Hill, NC, on January 30, 2026, surrounded by family. He will be remembered for his q...
Having gotten back into fishing in 1992, I (William Schultz ’73) caught and released my first smallmouth bass in May of 1994. Having kept a log during my time as a Badger swimmer and Hall of Fame racquetball career, I keep one for my fishing. So, ...
Samantha Rude ’18, MS’20 recently completed her PhD in plant pathology at the University of Minnesota. Sam has relocated to Sacramento, CA, to become a research scientist at California Seed and Plant Labs, where she specializes in the development ...
Kenneth M. Kapp MS’64, PhD’67, a former UW–Milwaukee mathematics professor and researcher, has been writing for a number of years. His essays have ...
After six years of hosting the Lead Balloon podcast about the adventures of professional storytellers, Wisconsin-based creator Dusty Weis ’07 has b...
Matthew Conley ’14 is now a senior associate and new part owner at Apex Engineers. A member of the firm’s Denver team since 2016, Conley is a go-to...
After working in international development for more than 25 years, Kristen P. Patterson MS’04 founded Sacred Journey Death Doula in late 2025. Based in Arlington, Virginia, Sacred Journey centers connection, compassion, reverence, and joy for indi...
For David Fein ’89, the formation of his law firm represents more than a professional milestone — it reflects a lifetime shaped by place, perspecti...
Life feels especially full this year – continuing to work as a financial advisor with Edward Jones, partnering with clients helping them achieve their goals. Proudly looking forward to my son’s graduation from the Air Force Academy and upcoming fl...
Joseph Landon Coleman, of Superior, Colorado, passed away on February 4, 2026, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 59. Joe was born April 1, 1966, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Walter and Ann Coleman. His childh...
Henry “Al” Engler ’61 passed away peacefully at home in Chapel Hill, NC, on January 30, 2026, surrounded by family. He will be remembered for his q...
Having gotten back into fishing in 1992, I (William Schultz ’73) caught and released my first smallmouth bass in May of 1994. Having kept a log during my time as a Badger swimmer and Hall of Fame racquetball career, I keep one for my fishing. So, ...
Samantha Rude ’18, MS’20 recently completed her PhD in plant pathology at the University of Minnesota. Sam has relocated to Sacramento, CA, to become a research scientist at California Seed and Plant Labs, where she specializes in the development ...
Kenneth M. Kapp MS’64, PhD’67, a former UW–Milwaukee mathematics professor and researcher, has been writing for a number of years. His essays have ...
After six years of hosting the Lead Balloon podcast about the adventures of professional storytellers, Wisconsin-based creator Dusty Weis ’07 has b...
Matthew Conley ’14 is now a senior associate and new part owner at Apex Engineers. A member of the firm’s Denver team since 2016, Conley is a go-to...
After working in international development for more than 25 years, Kristen P. Patterson MS’04 founded Sacred Journey Death Doula in late 2025. Based in Arlington, Virginia, Sacred Journey centers connection, compassion, reverence, and joy for indi...
For David Fein ’89, the formation of his law firm represents more than a professional milestone — it reflects a lifetime shaped by place, perspecti...