Lawrence University is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

and

conservatory of music A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton () is the county seat of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States, with small portions extending into Calumet County, Wisconsin, Calumet and Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winnebago counties. Located on the Fox River (Green Bay tributary ...

, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second college in the U.S. to be founded as a

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

institution.

History

Lawrence's first president, William Harkness Sampson, founded the school with Henry R. Colman, using $10,000 provided by

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Amos Adams Lawrence, and matched by the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church. Both founders were ordained Methodist

ministers Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

, but Lawrence was

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. The school was originally named Lawrence Institute of Wisconsin in its 1847 charter from the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, but the name was changed to Lawrence University before classes began in November 1849. Its oldest extant building, Main Hall, was built in 1853.Council of Independent Colleges,
Main Hall
, Historic Campus Architecture Project. Lawrence University was the second coeducational institution in the country. Lawrence's first period of major growth came during the thirty-year tenure (1894―1924) of

alumnus Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

Samuel G. Plantz as president, when the student body quadrupled, from 200 to 800. From 1913 until 1964, it was named Lawrence College, to emphasize its small size and

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

education focus. The name returned to Lawrence University when it merged with

Milwaukee-Downer College Milwaukee-Downer College was a women's college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in operation from 1895 until its merger with Lawrence University in 1964. History Milwaukee-Downer College was established in 1895 with the merger of two institutions: Milwau ...

. The state of Wisconsin then purchased the Milwaukee-Downer property and buildings to expand the campus of the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

. Initially, the university designated two entities: Lawrence College for Men and Downer College for Women. This separation has not lasted in any material form, though degrees are still conferred "on the recommendation of the Faculty of Lawrence and Downer Colleges" and the university by-laws still make the distinction. The traditions and heritage of Milwaukee-Downer are woven into the Appleton campus, from the grove of hawthorn trees (called Hawthornden) between Brokaw and Colman halls, to the

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

on the back of Main Hall, to the bestowing upon each class a class color and banner. The Lawrence Conservatory of Music, usually referred to as "the Con", was founded in 1874. Lawrence offers three degrees: a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

, a

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

and a

Bachelor of Musical Arts A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

. It also offers a five-year dual degree program, where students can receive both B.A. and B.Mus. degrees. First-year Studies (formerly named Freshman Studies) at Lawrence is a mandatory two-term class, in which all students study the same selected 11 classic works of literature, art, and music, the list varying from year to year. President

Nathan M. Pusey Nathan Marsh Pusey (; April 4, 1907 – November 14, 2001) was an American academic. Originally from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Pusey won a scholarship to Harvard University out of high school and went on to earn bachelor's, master's, and doctora ...

is credited with initiating the program in 1945, although Professor Waples chaired the Freshman Studies Committee and was responsible for implementing the program. The program continues to this day, despite being temporarily suspended in 1975.

Presidents

* 1849–1853

William Harkness Sampson William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands ...

, principal * 1853–1859 Edward Cooke, president * 1859–1865 Russell Zelotes Mason, president * 1865–1879 George McKendree Steele, president * 1879–1889

Elias DeWitt Huntley Elias Dewitt Huntley (19 April 1840 – 12 February 1909) was a Methodist clergyman who served as Chaplain of the Senate. Early life Elias Dewitt Huntley, was born April 19, 1840, in Elmira, New York, the son of Frances Tooker and Elias ...

, president * 1883–1889 Bradford Paul Raymond, president * 1889–1893 Charles Wesley Gallagher, president * 1893–1894 L. Wesley Underwood, acting president * 1894–1924 Samuel G. Plantz, president * 1925–1937 Henry Merritt Wriston, president * 1937–1943 Thomas Nichols Barrows, president * 1944–1953 Nathan Marsh Pusey, president * 1954–1963

Douglas Maitland Knight Douglas Maitland Knight (June 8, 1921 – January 23, 2005) was an American educator, businessman, and author. He was a former professor of literature at Yale University prior to his presidency at Lawrence University, Lawrence College from 1954 to ...

, president * 1963–1969 Curtis William Tarr, president * 1969–1979 Thomas S. Smith, president * 1979–2004

Richard Warch Richard Warch ( – ) was an American professor, ordained minister and academic. He served as the 14th president of Lawrence University. Early life Warch was raised in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. He received his bachelor's degree in history from Wi ...

, president * 2004–2013

Jill Beck Jill Beck (born 1949) is an American dancer, scholar, administrator and educator. She served as the 15th president of Lawrence University from July 2004 to 2013. On February 2, 2012, Beck announced her intention to retire, and was succeeded by M ...

, president * 2013–2021 Mark Burstein, president * 2021–present () Laurie Carter, president

Campus

The campus is located in downtown Appleton, divided into two parts by the Fox River. The academic campus is on the north shore of the river, and the major athletic facilities (including the 5,000-seat Banta Bowl) are on the southeast shore. Lawrence also has a northern estate called Björklunden (full name: Björklunden vid sjön), which serves as a site for retreats, seminars, concerts, and theatrical performances. It contains a chapel for weddings. Donald and Winifred Boynton of

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in southeastern Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipali ...

, donated the property in

Door County, Wisconsin Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,066. Its seat of government is Sturgeon Bay. It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. ...

to Lawrence in 1963. In the mid-1980s, the Physics Department built a $330,000 small laser laboratory which includes 800 5 mW small lasers and more than 500 mirrors. In 2009, Lawrence opened the Richard and Margot Warch Campus Center, a gathering place for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests from the Fox Cities community. The building is situated on the Fox River on the site of the former Hulburt House. The Warch Campus Center includes a cinema, campus dining services, campus mailboxes, and various meeting and event spaces. The building has earned a

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...

certification.

Academics

The student/faculty ratio at Lawrence is 9:1. The college offers majors in most of the

. The school also offers the option of

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...

areas of study and allows students to design their own majors. Lawrence grants Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees, with a

double degree Joint degrees are academic qualifications awarded through integrated curricula often jointly coordinated and delivered by multiple higher education institutions, sometimes across different countries. Graduates may receive a single qualification ...

possible. Lawrence offers a number of cooperative degree programs in areas such as

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

health sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences – those sciences that focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple a ...

and

environmental studies Environmental studies (EVS or EVST) is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human behavior, human interaction with the Natural environment, environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sci ...

. All students are required to take First-Year Studies during their first trimester, which introduces students to broad areas of study and provides a common academic experience for the college. Known as Freshman Studies until 2021, the program was established in 1945, and aside from a brief interruption in the mid-1970s it has remained a consistent fixture of the school's liberal arts curriculum. Lawrence's First-Year Studies program focuses on a mixture of

Great Books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...

and more contemporary, influential works, which include non-fiction books, fiction books, and various other types of works, such as paintings, photographs, musical recordings, and the

periodic table of the elements The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the elements, is an ordered arrangement of the chemical elements into rows (" periods") and columns (" groups"). It is an icon of chemistry and is widely used in physics and other sc ...

. Readings are replaced every few years, with the exception of

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

's ''

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

'', which was included in the list from 1945 until the program was revised in 2024. The

Lawrence University Conservatory of Music The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, a constituent member of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, offers undergraduate degrees in music, music performance, education, theory, and composition. Founded in 1874, it is one of the olde ...

was founded in 1874 and has been a part of Lawrence University ever since. The Conservatory offers Bachelor of Music degrees in Performance, Theory/Composition, Music Education, and a five-year double degree option that grants both a BM degree from the Conservatory and a BA degree from the College. Approximately 25% of the Lawrence student body, or 350 students, is in the Conservatory. The Conservatory has three choirs, two bands, two jazz ensembles, a symphony orchestra, an improvisation collective, five world music ensembles, and numerous chamber music groups. The Conservatory offers also a Bachelor of Musical Arts, primarily—but not exclusively—for students whose interest is in other than Western Classical Music. Students complete coursework in both the College and the Conservatory, and choose a "cognate"--a secondary field of study in the college to accompany their music studies. Lawrence is a member of the

Associated Colleges of the Midwest Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is a consortium of 14 private liberal arts colleges, primarily in the Midwestern United States. The 14 colleges are located in five states: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The ACM was esta ...

, an academic

consortium A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...

of 14 liberal arts colleges in the Midwest and Colorado that coordinates several off-campus study programs in a large number of countries as its primary activity. Lawrence University is also part of the

Oberlin Group The Oberlin Group of Libraries is a consortium of American liberal arts colleges, led by a board elected from its members' libraries' directors. The group evolved from meetings of college presidents in 1985 and 1986 at Oberlin College. , it has 8 ...

, a consortium of liberal arts college libraries.

Rankings and reputation

In the 2025 '' U.S. News & World Report'' college rankings, Lawrence University was ranked 69th (tied) of 211 liberal arts colleges nationwide. Lawrence was ranked 85th in the national liberal arts colleges and 12th in Pell Grant performance in ''

Washington Monthly ''Washington Monthly'' is a bimonthly, nonprofit magazine primarily covering United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C. The magazine also publishes an annual ranking of American colleges and universities, which ser ...

s rankings in 2024.

Student life

Lawrence enrolls about 1,500 students. The total enrollment in academic year 2010–11 was 1,566 students,As of Fall 2010. the largest student body in Lawrence University's history. Over 75% of the students identify as white, about 12% are

international student International students or exchange students, also known as foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their secondary or tertiary education in a country other than their own. In 2022, there were over 6.9 million international ...

s, and about 25% of students study in the conservatory of music. In the fall of 2014, a quarter of the incoming class were domestic students of color. Lawrence students have been named

Rhodes Scholars The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Established in 1902, it is ...

seven times. Since 1976, 57 students and nine faculty have received

Fulbright Scholarships The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

. Since 1969, 73 students have been named

Watson Fellows The Thomas J. Watson Foundation is a charitable trust formed 1961 in honor of former chairman and CEO of IBM, Thomas J. Watson. The Foundation's stated vision is to empower students “to expand their vision, test and develop their potential, and ...

Traditions

At the beginning of every academic year in September, incoming freshmen arrive a week before returning students to partake in Welcome Week. During Welcome Week, various activities are planned in order to help the incoming class get to know one another and to help them acclimate to college life. During the first night of Welcome Week, students and their parents attend the President's Welcome, which concludes with the traditional matriculation handshake, where every member of the incoming class shakes hands and exchanges words with the university's president. During the fall term, the on-campus

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, , it consist ...

hosts the annual Beach Bash. For this event, the brothers of ΒθΠ shovel approximately 14 tons of sand into the fraternity house basement, and install a

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...

and a

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

station that doubles as a DJ booth.This tradition was skipped in 2020, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The

Great Midwest Trivia Contest The Great Midwest Trivia Contest, or Midwest Trivia Contest, is held once a year in Appleton, Wisconsin, broadcast over Twitch. It has a claim as the longest-running college bowl trivia contest. From 2006 to 2020, the contest was livestreamed by ...

, claimed to be the longest-running college bowl trivia competition, is hosted by a group of Trivia Masters composed of current Lawrence students every January. Alumni and independent teams from around the world are also able to compete, with the contest broadcast previously over

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

and currently on

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...

. During spring term, Lawrence hosts a music festival, LU-aroo (a play on words on the popular music festival

Bonnaroo Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...

). Held on the quad, the festival features many talented student bands, both from the college and the conservatory. In 2016, the musician

The Tallest Man on Earth Kristian Matsson (born 30 April 1983) is a Swedish singer-songwriter who performs under the stage name The Tallest Man on Earth. Matsson grew up in Leksand, and began his solo career in 2006, having previously been the lead singer of the Indepen ...

played at the festival. An on-campus

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

, the Viking Room (VR), serves as a beloved campus lounge within the basement of the Memorial Hall classroom building. Professors and other senior university personnel frequently serve as guest

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...

s, and "VR tokens" are commonly distributed during campus events or when

barter In trade, barter (derived from ''bareter'') is a system of exchange (economics), exchange in which participants in a financial transaction, transaction directly exchange good (economics), goods or service (economics), services for other goods ...

ing to exchange for drinks at the bar. Students of

drinking age The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary betwee ...

customize a numbered

tankard A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. In recent centuries tankards were typically made of silver or pewter, but can be made of other materials, for example glass, wood, ...

that is stored in the VR and is reused by the individual each time they order a drink. Upon graduation, students take their mug with them as a reminder of the many great times spent in the VR.

Media

The student newspaper, ''

The Lawrentian ''The Lawrentian'' is the campus newspaper of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. The paper, first published in 1884, comes out once per week while school is in session. Although it is student operated, it receives university funding. '' ...

'', has been published for over a century. Lawrence had a radio station, WLFM, from 1955 (broadcasting beginning in 1956) through 2005. Since 2012, Lawrence has hosted the peer-reviewed academic journal '' Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal'', one of the oldest film journals in the world.

Athletics

Lawrence University's intercollegiate athletic teams, known as the

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

since 1926, compete in the

Midwest Conference The Midwest Conference (MWC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Midwestern United States in the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Midwest Confe ...

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA)

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Third ...

. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field; women's sports include basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. In 2005–06, the men's basketball team was ranked first in Division III for much of the season, after starting the season unranked. The Vikings were the only undefeated team in all divisions of college basketball for the last six weeks of the season, ending with a record of 25–1. Star forward Chris Braier won the Josten's Award as the top player in the country for both playing ability and community service. Coach John Tharp was named Division III Midwest Coach of the Year. Beginning in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, Lawrence qualified for the Division III national tournament in five of the next six years (2004,

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

). Their best result was in 2004, advancing to the quarterfinals (Elite 8), but fell to eventual national champion Wisconsin–Stevens Point by a point in overtime at

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

. In 2011, Lawrence's men's cross country team won the Midwest Conference championships for the first time since 1985, beating

Grinnell College Grinnell College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalis ...

and ending its 14-year winning streak. In 2021, Lawrence unveiled a new athletics logo, featuring a Viking ship incorporating the

antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

from the crest on the Lawrence

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

. This replaced the longstanding previous Viking logo with variations utilized by many other organizations, notably including the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

. In 2022, the Vikings debuted a new mascot, an antelope named Blu.

Notable faculty

William Chaney William Albert Chaney (December 23, 1922 – March 13, 2013) was an American historian of Anglo-Saxon England. Chaney spent his career at Lawrence University, where he taught from 1952 until his death; he held the George McKendree Steele endowed ...

, historian *

Richard N. Current Richard Nelson Current (October 5, 1912 – October 26, 2012) was an American historian, called "the Dean of Lincoln Scholars", best known for ''The Lincoln Nobody Knows'' (1958), and ''Lincoln and the First Shot'' (1963). Life Born in Colorado ...

, historian * Emanuel Gerechter, rabbi * Estelí Gomez, soprano *

William H. Riker William Harrison Riker (September 22, 1920 – June 26, 1993) was an American political scientist known for applying game theory and mathematics to political science. He helped establish University of Rochester as a center of the behavioral revo ...

, political scientist * Charles B. Schudson, judge *

Fred Sturm Frederick I. Sturm (March 21, 1951 – August 24, 2014) was a jazz composer, arranger and teacher. Sturm studied at Lawrence University, the University of North Texas College of Music, and the Eastman School of Music. He played trombone and perfor ...

, jazz composer and musician * Arthur Thrall, artist *

Harry Dexter White Harry Dexter White (October 29, 1892 – August 16, 1948) was an American government official in the United States Department of the Treasury. Working closely with the secretary of the treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr., he helped set American financia ...

, economist, first U.S. Director of IMF (1946–47), and Soviet informant *

John Holiday John Thomas Holiday Jr. (born March 31, 1985) is an American operatic countertenor. His repertoire focuses on the Baroque music, Baroque and contemporary classical music, contemporary composers, including staged opera and opera in concert, works ...

, opera singer, music professor, and finalist on season 19 of The Voice. * Peter N. Peregrine, renowned anthropologist and archaeologist

Notable alumni

File:David_C_Mulford.jpg, David C. Mulford
(B.A. '59)

U.S. ambassador to India The United States ambassador to India is the chief diplomatic representative of United States in India. The U.S. ambassador's office is situated at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. On March 15, 2023, Eric Garcetti was confirmed as ambassador. ...

File:Nobel_Prize_2009-Press_Conference_KVA-10.jpg, Thomas A. Steitz
(B.A. '62)

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

-winning

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

File:Terry_Moran_in_2007.jpg, Terry Moran
(B.A. '82)
Journalist
File:Pawo_Choyning_Dorji_April_2024.jpg, Pawo Choyning Dorji
(B.A. '06)
Bhutanese filmmaker
*

James Sibree Anderson James Sibree Anderson (December 25, 1841 – May 9, 1927) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Anderson was born on December 25, 1841, in Kelvin Haugh, now part of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. He moved to what is now Kossuth, ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Martha Bablitch Martha Bablitch (born Martha Jean Virtue; October 28, 1944April 4, 2007) was an American lawyer from Dane County, Wisconsin. She served seven years as a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, from 1978 to 1985. She was married to Wisconsin Sup ...

, judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals *

John Miller Baer John Miller Baer (March 29, 1886 – February 18, 1970) was a U.S. Representative from North Dakota. Early years and education Born at Black Creek, Wisconsin, Baer was the son of Capt. John M. Baer and Libbie Riley Baer. His ancestors on the m ...

, 1909, Congressman from North Dakota * William Baer, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division * Melvin Baldwin, Congressman from Minnesota * Charles A. Barnard, Wisconsin State Representative *

Sam Barry Justin McCarthy "Sam" Barry (December 17, 1892 – September 23, 1950) was an American collegiate coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports - football, baseball, and basketball. He remains one of only three coaches ...

, college basketball and baseball coach (attended) * Myrt Basing, NFL player *

Jennifer Baumgardner Jennifer Baumgardner (born 1970) is a writer, activist, filmmaker, and lecturer whose work explores abortion, sex, bisexuality, rape, single parenthood, and women's power. From 2013 to 2017, she served as the Executive Director/Publisher at The F ...

, 1992, feminist writer and activist *

Lisle Blackbourn Lisle William "Liz" Blackbourn (June 3, 1899 – June 14, 1983) was an American football coach in Wisconsin, most notably as the third head coach of the Green Bay Packers, from 1954 Green Bay Packers season, 1954 through 1957 Green Bay Packers se ...

, 1925, NFL head coach *

Champ Boettcher Raymond Edward Boettcher was a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback in the National Football League. He played with the Racine Legion/Tornadoes, Racine Tornadoes during the 1926 NFL season. References

1900 births 1965 deaths American fo ...

, NFL player * Thomas Boyd, Wisconsin State Representative *

Alexander Brazeau Alexander Brazeau was an American politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Brazeau was born on December 24, 1856, in Oconto, Wisconsin. He would attend Lawrence University. Eventually, he became a lawyer and newspape ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Webster E. Brown, Congressman from Wisconsin (attended) *

Bonnie Bryant Barbara "Bonnie" Bryant Hiller ( Bryant; born in New York, New York, in 1946) is an American author; as Bonnie Bryant she wrote many children's and young adult books; she is best known for writing the intermediate horse book series '' The Sadd ...

, 1968, author of children's books * Louis B. Butler Jr., 1973, associate justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court * Thomas Callaway, Actor and Interior Designer *

Robert A. Collins Robert A. Collins (November 4, 1924 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – January 4, 2003) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He attended St. Anthony High School (Milwaukee), St. Anthony High School, Solomon Juneau Business High School, Lawrence ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Julia Colman Julia Colman (pen name, Aunt Julia; February 16, 1828 – January 10, 1909) was an American temperance educator, activist, editor and writer of the long nineteenth century. She served as superintendent of literature in the Woman's Christian Temper ...

(1828–1909), American temperance educator, activist, editor, writer * Susan M. Crawford, 1987, justice-elect of the Wisconsin Supreme Court * Charles Rankin Deniston, Wisconsin State Representative * James Dinsdale, Wisconsin State Representative *

William Diver William Diver (July 20, 1921 – August 31, 1995) was an American linguist. He was the founder of the Columbia School of Linguistics, which is named after Columbia University, where he received his Ph.D. in comparative Indo-European linguistics. ...

, 1942, linguist and founder of the Columbia School of Linguistics * Pawo Choyning Dorji, 2006, filmmaker and photographer * William Draheim, Wisconsin State Senator * Paul Driessen, 1970, author and lobbyist *

Dale Duesing Dale Duesing (born September 26, 1945) is an American baritone. As an opera singer, he has had an international career spanning five decades. Duesing grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He studied piano throughout childhood, and enrolled at Lawrence ...

, 1967, operatic baritone * Siri Engberg, curator, Walker Art Center *

Cynthia Estlund Cynthia Estlund (born 1957) is the Catherine A. Rein Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law. Career Estlund teaches United States labor law, labor law, employment law, and property law and has published numerous articles on th ...

, 1978, law professor and author *

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), '' Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Cima ...

, author and playwright (attended) *

James A. Frear James Archibald Frear (October 24, 1861 – May 28, 1939) was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. Biography Born in Hudson, Wisconsin, in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, Frear attended the public schools, and Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisco ...

, Congressman from Wisconsin (attended) * Earle W. Fricker, Wisconsin State Representative * William Fuller, 1975, poet and senior vice president and chief fiduciary officer of Northern Trust Corporation *

Dominic Fumusa Dominic Fumusa (; born September 13, 1969) is an American stage and screen actor known for starring in the Showtime comedy-drama series ''Nurse Jackie''. Early life Fumusa was born and raised in Dane County, Wisconsin the son of Clara and Peter ...

, 1991, actor * John Rankin Gamble, 1872, Congressman from South Dakota *

Robert J. Gamble Robert Jackson Gamble (February 7, 1851September 22, 1924) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative and Senator from South Dakota. He was the father of Ralph A. Gamble and brother of John Rankin Gamble, members of South Dakot ...

, 1874, Congressman from South Dakota * Ed Glick, NFL player (attended) *

Walter Samuel Goodland Walter Samuel Goodland (December 22, 1862March 12, 1947) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 31st governor of Wisconsin. He was a member of the Republican Party and attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Biograp ...

, governor of Wisconsin (attended) *

Suzanne Graff Suzanne Graff is an American actress. Biography A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Graff performed onstage for several seasons at the American Folklore Theatre (AFT) in shows such as ''Lumberjacks in Love'' which became one of the company's big ...

, actress * Michael P. Hammond, 1954, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts *

Lorena Hickok Lorena Alice "Hick" Hickok (March 7, 1893 – May 1, 1968) was an American journalist and long-term friend and possibly romantic partner of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. After an unhappy and unsettled childhood, Hickok found success as a repo ...

, confidante of Eleanor Roosevelt (attended) *

Earnest Hooton Earnest Albert Hooton (November 20, 1887 – May 3, 1954) was an American physical anthropologist known for his work on racial classification and his popular writings such as the book ''Up From The Ape''. Hooton sat on the Committee on the Negro, ...

, 1903, physical anthropologist * John D. Huber,

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

political scientist *

Thomas R. Hudd Thomas Richard Hudd (October 1, 1835June 22, 1896) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from northeast Wisconsin. He served three years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 5th congressional district from 1 ...

, Congressman from Wisconsin (attended) * Frank W. Humphrey, 1881, Wisconsin State Representative *

Bruce Iglauer Bruce Iglauer (born July 10, 1947) is an American businessman and record producer who founded Alligator Records as an independent record label featuring blues music. Early life and career Iglauer was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States ...

, founder of Alligator Records * Lester Johnson, Congressman from Wisconsin *

Zachary Scot Johnson Zachary Scot Johnson is an American singer-songwriter, born in 1982 in Racine, Wisconsin, Racine, Wisconsin, United States. He attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin from 2001 through 2006, where he was a triple major student in Musi ...

, 2001, singer-songwriter and creator of Thesongadayproject *

Jeffrey Jones Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946) is an American actor, known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in '' Amadeus'' (1984), Edward R. Rooney in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), Charles Deetz in ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Dr. Skip Tyl ...

, 1968, actor, sex offender * Scott Klug, 1975 former congressman from Wisconsin
* Peter Kolkay, bassoonist * Eddie Kotal, National Football League player * Takakazu Kuriyama, Japanese ambassador to the United States (attended) *

Barbara Lawton Barbara Lawton (born July 5, 1951) is an American businesswoman and politician from Green Bay, Wisconsin who is the President and CEO of Americans for Campaign Reform. A member of the Democratic Party, Lawton was the 43rd Lieutenant Governor ...

, 1987, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (2001–2011) *

Fred Lerdahl Alfred Whitford (Fred) Lerdahl (born March 10, 1943) is an American music theorist and composer. Best known for his work on musical grammar, Music cognition, cognition, Rhythm, rhythmic theory, and pitch space, he and the linguist Ray Jackendoff d ...

, 1965, composer and music theorist *

John A. Luke Jr. John A. Luke Jr. is an American businessman. He serves as chairman and CEO of the MeadWestvaco Corporation. Education Luke attended Hotchkiss School, The Hotchkiss School and then Lawrence University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in 197 ...

, 1971, CEO of MeadWestvaco
* Harry N. MacLean, 1964, true crime author *

Momodu Maligie Momodu Maligi is a Sierra Leonean politician and former Minister of Water Resources for Sierra Leone. At thirty two years old, he became the youngest Sierra Leonean cabinet minister in President Ernest Bai Koroma's cabinet. He was chosen as Water ...

, 2004, Minister of Water Resources for Sierra Leone * William H. Markham, Wisconsin State Senator * James H. McGillan, mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin *

James Merrell James Hart Merrell (born 1953 in Minnesota) is a Lucy Maynard Salmon Professor of History Emeritus at Vassar College. Merrell is primarily a scholar of early American history, and has written extensively on Native American history during the col ...

, 1975, professor of history at Vassar College * John S. Mills, U.S. Air Force major general * Terry Moran, 1982, chief White House correspondent for ABC News *

David Mulford David Campbell Mulford (born 27 June 1937) is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to India from February 23, 2004 to January 15, 2009, and served as Vice-Chairman International of Credit Suisse from 2009 to 2016. He i ...

, 1969, United States Ambassador to India (2004–2009) * William F. Nash, Wisconsin State Senator * George Allen Neeves, Wisconsin State Representative *

Tom Neff Thomas Linden Neff (born 1953)-, known as Tom Neff, is an American film executive, director and producer, born in Chicago, Illinois. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Education Neff received his Bachelor of Arts from Lawrence University with a ma ...

, 1975, CEO and founder of The Documentary Channel * Justus Henry Nelson, missionary in the Amazon (attended) * Garth Neustadter, 2011 Emmy winner, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series * Angelia Thurston Newman, poet, author, lecturer *

Roger Nicoll Roger A. Nicoll (born 1941) is an American neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco where he is professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. Nicoll grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. He studied biology an ...

, 1963, neuroscientist at UCSF *

Jessica Nelson North Jessica Nelson North (September 7, 1891 – June 3, 1988) was an American writer, poet and editor. Early life and family Jessica Nelson North was born in Madison, Wisconsin, the daughter of David Willard North and Sarah Elizabeth "Elizabeth" ( ...

, 1917, author * Arnold C. Otto, Wisconsin State Representative * Rip Owens, NFL player (attended) * Alice Peacock, 1992 singer-songwriter
*

Charles Pettibone Charles Alexander Pettibone (May 26, 1841November 30, 1925) was an American newspaper editor and Republican politician. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Dodge County, and was later sergeant-at-arms of that body. ...

, Wisconsin State Senator * Cindy Regal, 2001, experimental physicist * Scott Reppert, 1983, player for Lawrence's football team * Eben Eugene Rexford, author of works on gardening (attended) * Carl W. Riddick, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Second District of Montana *

Josh Sawyer Joshua Eric Sawyer (born October 18, 1975), more commonly known and credited as Josh Sawyer, J.E. Sawyer, or JSawyer, is an American video game designer, known for his work on role-playing video games. Early life and education Sawyer grew up in ...

, video game designer at Obsidian Entertainment * Melvin H. Schlytter, Wisconsin State Representative *

Campbell Scott Campbell Scott (born July 19, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. His roles include Steve Dunne in '' Singles'', Mark Usher in ''House of Cards'', Joseph Tobin in ''Damages'', Richard Parker in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' The Amazi ...

, 1983, actor *

Michael Shurtleff Michael Shurtleff (July 3, 1920, in Oak Park, Illinois – January 28, 2007, in Los Angeles, California) was a major force in casting on Broadway during the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote ''Audition'', a book for actors on the audition process. He als ...

, 1942, casting director, author *

Eric Simonson Eric Simonson (born June 27, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American writer and director in theatre, film and opera. He is a member of Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and the author of plays '' Lombardi'', ''Fake'', ''Honest'', ''Magic/B ...

, 1982, Oscar-winning writer–director * Red Smith, 1926, MLB player, NFL player and assistant coach, head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas football team and Wisconsin Badgers football team * Anil Singh (judge), 1980, associate justice

New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York is the intermediate appellate court in New York State. The state is geographically divided into four judicial departments of the Appellate Division. The full title of each is, u ...

* Janet Steiger, 1961, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission * Thomas A. Steitz, 1962, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate *

Heidi Stober Heidi Stober (born 1978, Wisconsin) is an American operatic soprano who has performed leading roles in major opera houses internationally, including the Dutch National Opera, the Garsington Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Oper ...

, 2000, operatic soprano *

, 1973, jazz composer and arranger * William T. Sullivan, Wisconsin State Representative * Gladys Taber (1899–1980), author * Anton R. Valukas, 1965, U.S. attorney, author of the Valukas Report * Madhuri Vijay, 2009, novelist, author of ''The Far Field'' * James Franklin Ware, 1871, legislator * William Warner, U.S. Senator from Missouri (attended) * Iva Bigelow Weaver, soprano and music educator based in Milwaukee * Alexander B. Whitman, Wisconsin State Senator * George W. Wolff, Wisconsin State Representative and Senator *

Tom Zoellner Tom Zoellner (born 1968) is an American author and journalist. He is the author of popular non-fiction books which take multidimensional views of their subject. His work has been widely reviewed and has been featured on ''The Daily Show''. His ...

, 1991, author, journalist * Al Zupek, 1944, NFL player

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{Authority control Universities and colleges established in 1847 Liberal arts colleges in Wisconsin Music schools in Wisconsin Private universities and colleges in Wisconsin Buildings and structures in Appleton, Wisconsin Education in Outagamie County, Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Outagamie County, Wisconsin 1847 establishments in Wisconsin Territory