UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Notable Visitors

1970s

1970s visitors banner
Year/Mo. Visitor Event Description
 

1970 October

Hans J. Morgenthau
political scientist, author, political adviser, professor

Speech: Dr. Morgenthau spoke in the North Hall auditorium and expressed the need for a new foreign policy [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1970 November

Cleveland Grant
wildlife photographer

Presentation: Grant, known for his films of North American wildlife, gave a presentation in the North Hall auditorium that was part lecture and part film presentation on wildlife in Wisconsin, Montana, and the Canadian Rockies [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1970 December

Dr. Arthur Peterson
professor of Social Science at the University of Wisconsin in Madison

"Soil, Water, and People"  [co-sponsored by the Department of Plant and Earth, Natural Earth Club, National Science Foundation, and Concerts and Lectures]

1970 December

Robert Bennett
director of the American Indian Law Center at the University of New Mexico; Oneida Indian

"The Indian in Contemporary America": Bennett, lecturing in the Student Ballroom, suggested that Indians today are living in a contemporary Indian culture and not the culture of their ancestors [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 February

Muhammad Touré
poet

Keynote Speaker for Black Culture Week: Touré, a Black poet from New York, lectured in North Hall auditorium, saying that, "Until man evolves to a point that people are more important than property, we will continue barbarism in our society" [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 March 17

The Lettermen
Pop music trio
The Lettermen 1971

Concert

Undated but possibly April, 1971

Vine Deloria, Jr.
American Indian activist, historian, theologian, and author (Custer Died For Your Sins was published in 1971)

Custer Died for Your Sins, by Vine Deloria

Keynote Speaker for the American Indian Week: Deloria, a Standing Rock Dakota and active with American Indian problems and programs with the U.S. government, lectured on his claim that both Indians' and the Blacks' major problem has been the white man's efforts to make them accept white values [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 April

Charles Evers
mayor of Fayette, Mississippi

Lecture: "What Does It Mean To Care?" Evers, brother of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was himself active in the civil rights movement  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 October

James Farmer
former assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and Former National Director of the Commission of Racial Equality

Lecture: "New Careers for All," Farmer spoke in the North Hall auditorium [sponsored by the University Foundation]

1971 October

Ramsey Clark
former Attorney General of the United States
Ramsey Clark 1971

Lecture: "Crime in America" Clark, a strong believer in civil rights, advocated a Bill of Rights for prisoners; his lecture, held in Hagestad Center, was based on his recently-published book of the same name [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 December 14

Thomas Murton
former superintendent of the Arkansas Prison System, and professor of Criminology at the University of Minnesota

Thomas Murton 1971                            Student Voice photo

Lecture: Speaking before a large crowd in the North Hall Auditorium, Professor Murton spoke on the "United States Penal Systems and Institutions"; he pointed out the injustice and brutality that is going on in many of our penal institutions [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 December 14

Dr. Allen Pollack
professor of Russian History at Yeshivia University in New York

Lecture: Dr. Pollack spoke in the Student Center on "The Current Development in the Middle East and the Situation of Soviet Jewry" [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1971 December

The Renegades
Native American singing, dancing group

Performance: The group, formed by Chief Frank Thunder of the Winnebago Tribe and consisting of 40 members at the time they came to UW-River Falls, performed in North Hall auditorium [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1972 February 14

Vernon Thomson
U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin

Q&A: Thomson answered questions from students in the Presidents Room of the Student Center; questions dealt with the war in Southeast Asia, the economy, the India-Pakistan war, food prices, assistance to farmers, national health insurance, revenue sharing, etc.

1972 February 15

Rev. Andrew J. Young
Civil Rights leader; close adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.

Andrew Young, 1972                            Student Voice photo

 

Black History Week Lecture: Rev. Young spoke in the North Hall Auditorium on "The Way to Non-Violent Change" [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1972 March 3

Buffy Sainte-Marie
singer

Buffy Sainte-Marie 1972                            Student Voice photo

Concert: In Karges Gym [sponsored by U.A.B.—University Activities Board]

1972 April

Ed Benton
member of the American Indian Movement (AIM)

Native American Week Lecture: "Minority Relations" Benton was one of several speakers during Native American Week; the lecture took place in the North Hall Auditorium [sponsored by the Minority Service Office]

1972 December

Dick Gregory
comedian who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. President in 1968

Lecture: Gregory lectured before a full-house audience at North Hall auditorium; he spent several minutes of the lecture protesting the Vietnam war  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1973 March

Daniel Schorr
CBS News reporter

Lecture: "Media and the Government" the widely known veteran of CBS News lectured and took questions from the audience in the North Hall auditorium.  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1973 April

Thomas S. Szasz
doctor of psychiatry, author

Lecture: "The Myth of Mental Illness" Dr. Szasz, author of several books and professional journal articles on the theme that mental illness does not exist, lectured in the North Hall auditorium about his most famous book, The Myth of Mental Illness  [sponsored by the Sociology Department]

1974 January

George Swinton
author, visiting professor

Lecture: "Eskimo Culture, Art, and the Meaning of Shamanism" Swinton, who published many books on Eskimo culture, lectured in the North Hall auditorium on the Eskimo culture [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1974 March

Daniel Ellsberg
military analyst
Daniel Ellsberg 1974

Lecture: "Leaking the Pentagon Papers to the Public" Ellsberg discussed the controversy around government secrecy, military policy, and press suppression that emerged from this Pentagon Papers publication; he spoke to a full house audience in the North Hall auditorium [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1974 March

Edward Albee
American playwright (The Ego Story, 1958, The Sandbox, 1959, The American Dream, 1960, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, 1962, A Deliberate Balance, 1966)

Workshops: Albee was a three-day guest at UW-River Falls; several workshops allowed students, faculty, and community members to interact with Albee [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1974 March

William Albright
composer, pianist, and organist, professor in the School of Music at the University of Michigan

Lectures, Performance: Dr. Albright spent four days giving lectures and performing his gifted talents [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

Undated

Ralph Nader
environmentalist, activist

Lecture: "Environmental Hazards: Man-made and Man-remodeled" Dr. Nader, who is credited with the passage of at least six federal consumer protection laws as well as the recall of millions of defective motor vehicles, lectured in North Hall auditorium; he holds a law degree from Harvard (1958)  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1974 October

Aliza Ngono
African singer

Performance: Ngono performed African folk music in the Fine Arts building, folk music of her native South Africa is combined with love songs; she had recently appeared at the Milwaukee Summerfest in singing in her native tongue, Xhosa, plus Zulu, six other dialects, and English [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1974 November

Dr. Mordechai
director of teacher education in Israel

Lecture: "The Impact of Israel's Social and Security Problems on the Schools" The Israeli educator explains unique education features in Israeli schools.  Israel's curriculum is similar to America's/  The lecture took place in the North Hall auditorium.  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1975 January

Gene Roddenberry
creator of Star Trek

Lecture: "Star Trek and the Future of Telecommunications," Roddenberry spoke to an overflow audience in the Hagestad Ballroom, predicting that in less than a dozen years every human being will have total access to the accumulated knowledge of all humanity [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1975 February

John Jarolimek
professor of Education at the University of Washington

Lecture: "A Sense of the Future: Social Studies in the Years Ahead," Dr. Jarolimek was a visiting professor and the keynote speaker at a conference held in North Hall Auditorium [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1975 September

Mike Seeger
musician

Performance: Seeger performs using "People's Music." Mike Seeger played a variety of styles of traditional music to an enthusiastic crown in the recital hall, Fine Arts building.  Seeger plays the guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, mouth harp, auto harp, and dulcimer.  Mike is half-brother of Pete Seeger [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1975 October 21

Jack Anderson
Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper columnist
Jack Anderson 1975

Lecture

1975 November 12

Julian Bond
Civil Rights activist, Georgia state legislator

Bond was a 3-day guest at UW-River Falls; he gave formal speeches and attended many classes on campus, and enlightened a full crowd at the North Hall auditorium [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1975 December

Erick Von Daniken
author

Lecture: "Astronauts from Other Planets Visiting our Planet in Ancient Times" Von Daniken lectured in the Karges gymnasium.  Much of his adult life was focused on evidence that links ancient writings with slides of archeological phenomena he feels support his theories. [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1976 January

Emme Kemp
Jazz musician

Performance: Kemp has been called a kaleidoscope of color and sound.  She performed  jazz and blues concert in the recital hall of the Fine Arts Building.  Kemp performed many numbers by many popular jazz and blues artists such as Blake, Ellington, W.C. Handy, and others.  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1976 January

William Proxmire
U.S. Senator
William Proxmire 1976

Lecture: Senator Proxmire, who served in the U.S. Senate for 37 years and was a member of the Banking Committee and Chair of the House and Urban Affairs Committee, lectured on general issue topics in the Little Theatre of the library

1976 March

Walter Meives
professor of communications, director of Motion Picture/Still Photography for the U.S. Olympic Team

Lecture: Meives was based in Madison, but was teaching film production at UW-River Falls at the time of his lecture

1976 March

Dr. Roger Manvell
author, playwright, film producer

Lecture Series: Dr. Manvell conducted several programs on the UW-River Falls campus over 2 days, discussing British and American film-making from contemporary and historic points of view [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures and the Department of Journalism and Speech]

1976 April 25

Miles Lord
U.S. District Court judge
Miles Lord with Bill Abbott 1976

(on the right is William Abbott)

Speech: Judge Miles Lord spoke at the Spring Banquet of the Saint Croix Valley chapter of the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union, which was held in the dining room in Rodli

1976 April

Bernice Coleman
artist, professor at California State University in Northridge

1976 Fine Arts Festival: A 10-day invitational fibers exhibit, and a series of films and workshops by visiting artist Coleman, as part of the annual spring Fine Arts Festival at UW-River Falls

1976 May

Clyde Bellecourt, John Gary, Shayne Davis
AIM activists

American Indian Days Speakers: "Native American Schools Teach Tribal Tradition" [sponsored by the Minority Services Office]

1976 October

Alvin Baldus,Wisconsin congressman (speaking), James Dollahon, dean of the UW-River Falls College of Agriculture (seated), Fred Richmond, New York congressman
Alvin Baldus 1976

Farm Forum

1977 February 3

The Cryan' Shames
American garage rock band, most remembered for their cover of The Searchers' "Sugar and Spice"

Dance Band for the 1977 Winter Carnival dance in the North Hall Auditorium

The Cryan' Shames on stage, February 3, 1977
   Student Voice photo

1977 March 27-28

Aaron Copeland
Composer
Aaron Copland 1977

1977 Visiting Professor: Copeland addressed a convocation of students and faculty, informally discussed composition with music students and campus guests, held seminars and critiqued music students who performed his work, and concluded his residency by conducting the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in concert

1977 September

Frederic Storaska
president of the National Organization for the Prevention of Rape and Assault

Presentation: "How to Say 'No' to a Rapist and Survive," Storaska gave a 2½ hour presentation  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1977 October

Allen Ginsberg
poet and anti-war activist

Reading: Ginsberg, a leading figure of the Beat Generation of poets, read poems he had written, including "America;" the reading was held in the Student Center ballroom at UW-River Falls; Ginsberg's 12th book of poetry, Mind Breaths, was due for publication in 1978

1978 February

Vincent Price
actor
Vincent Price 1978

Presentation: "Three American Voices" Price gave a dramatic presentation which included excerpts from the works of Walt Whitman, James McNeil Whistler, and Tennessee Williams.  Price began his acting career in Europe.  His American debut was in a London production of "Victoria Regina" Price is probably best known for his chilling and spine-tingling roles in movies such as, "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Raven."  He also appeared in many television and radio shows.

1978 April

Kate Millett
author, women's activist

Lecture: "Violence and Women," Millett spoke in the Student Center ballroom: "We live in an institutional society where all power, all control, and all institutions are in male hands," and violence against women can be traced to technology and patriarchal society [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1978 September

Geraldo Rivera
ABC investigative reporter for 20/20 and Good Night America, Newsman of the Year in 1971 (New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association)

11th Annual Journalism Day: Rivera, lawyer turned reporter, spoke about using oneself as a tool for social change [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1978 October

Rio Nido
Minneapolis Jazz trio (Tim Sparks and Tom Lieberman on guitar, Prudence Madsen, vocalist)

Concert: The trio played as part of the campus jazz series, performing many classics by the likes of Cab Calloway, as well as Cats and Fiddle songs; following the concert they conducted a workshop for student musicians [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1978 October

Michele Radosevich
State senator and member of the Wisconsin Legislative Council Study Committee on Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Legislation Workshop: Senator Radosevich spoke about domestic violence legislation as part of a workshop that cost $2.50 to attend  [sponsored by the Domestic Violence Research Project]

1978 October

Daniel Nagrin Dance Company
dance performance group

Workshop, Performance: Nagrin was a Broadway performer and solo performer who was known for developing "Action Technique," a method in which visual design and impact of movement is created by inner action [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]
 

1978 October

James Tobin
economist, professor at Yale University, Nobel Prize winner in Economics

Lecture: "Economic Outlook of the United States" Tobin spoke in the Fine Arts building about the economic outlook in the United States [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1978 November

Gene Bertoncini, guitarist and teacher, and Michael Moore, bassist
Bertoncini was well-known from playing on talk shows (Jack Parr Show, The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson)

An Evening with the Guitar: New York-based guitarist presented a clinic at UW-River Falls along with bassist, Moore; the program was filled with jazz, folk, classical, and pop music [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1979 January

Yale Russian Chorus
student ensemble

Concert: The Yale Russian Chorus was a student ensemble that brought together American and Soviet students.  The group sang Russian music in the U.S. and American music in the U.S.S.R.. [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures and the College of Arts and Sciences]

1979 January

Michael and Nancy Udow
musicians

Modern Dance Workshop and Performance: The duo used Michael's percussion compositions and Nancy's choreography, incorporating silence, prose readings, and lighting into their pieces

1979 January

Robert Lee Owens
actor, composer, director

Lecture: Owens presented a lecture on his music and acting career; he performed with singers such as Keith Enger, Rhea Jackson, and George Goodman; Owens also wrote music from Goethe and became the first Black actor to perform Goethe in German [sponsored by the Music Department]

1979 February

Bobby Seal
co-founder of the Black Panther Party

Advancement of the Blacks: Seal spoke about the development of Advocate Scene and National Homicide Prevention, non-violent organizations aimed at community economic advancement for Blacks

1979 February

Lamont Cranston
R&B musician

Concert: Cranston played a concert with guitarists Bob and Charlie Bingham, pianist John Preisler, and vocalist Pat Hayes, who were all new additions to the ensemble and the concert at UWRF was only their second performance as a group

1979 April

Stanton T. Friedman
physicist

Lecture: "UFOs and Government attempts to Conceal Them" Friedman, a California physicist, spoke in a lecture to students about the government's attempts to conceal UFOs

1979 April

Garrison Keillor
radio personality
Garrison Keillor 1979

Presentation for a "Save South Hall" Event: Keillor featured the Powdermilk Biscuit Band, a regular performer, on the humorous Minnesota public radio variety show, "A Prairie Home Companion"

1979 May

Bad Boy, Lamont Cranston, Dixie Dregs, and Papa John Creach musicians

Musicquake: The musicians were the main sources of entertainment at the 1979 Musicquake held in Ramer field

1979 October

Bella Abzug
former New York Congresswoman and women's rights activist
Bella Abzug 1979

Lecture: Abzug, who had been an attorney and lobbyist for 30 years, spoke in the Student Center ballroom about women's rights, the peace movement, minority rights, free speech, labor unions, and equality [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1979 November

Dr. James Jones
social psychologist and director of the Minority Fellowship Program of the American Psychological Association

Lecture: "Racial Harassment and Racial Denial" Jones, lecturing in the Student Center ballroom, suggested that there are elements of racism in River Falls—the environment is centered around white reality, and the instances of racial harassment and racial denial must be dealt with [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]

1979 December

Erwin Knoll
editor of The Progressive magazine

Journalism Day Lecture: Speaking in the Student Center ballroom, Knoll said The Progressive was the first publication to say 'no' to government restraint in this country's 203 year history in publishing "The H-Bomb Secret: How We Got It, Why We're Telling It"  [sponsored by Concerts and Lectures]