STEVENS POINT — A new edition of a book that documents the beneficial relationship between Wisconsin and its universities has been published by Cornerstone Press at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“The Wisconsin Idea” by Charles McCarthy is the first in Cornerstone’s new Wisconsin Heritage Series. It was edited by Associate Professor Jeff Snowbarger and Assistant Professor Ross Tangedal of UW-Stevens Point’s English Department, with the assistance of five students – Lindsey Bundgaard, Baldwin; Amanda Greenthal, West Allis; Madeline Swanger, Slinger; Monica Swinick, Minneapolis, Minn.; and Rachel Zach, Stevens Point.
“This book will help communities understand the Wisconsin Idea and why it is important for the future of our state,” Tangedal said in a news release.
McCarthy, the chief librarian for the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library, originally published the book in 1912 to document how university faculty influenced and worked with legislators to create state policies and laws. Publicly regulated utilities, public land use and innovations in the dairy industry are among the concepts rooted in university expertise and the Wisconsin Idea, Tangedal said.
“The idea is that the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state,” Tangedal said. “This book itself is a representation of the Wisconsin Idea, as this second edition is the result of work by university faculty and students.”
“The Wisconsin Idea’ is now on sale through Amazon.com and on the Cornerstone Press website, www.uwsp.edu/english/cornerstone/.
Cornerstone Press will hold an official book launch in the fall.
