University of Wisconsin Madison - Badger Yearbook (Madison, WI)

Page 15 text:

decisions outlawing segregation in public schools and undermined t he old concept of “seperate. but equal.” Several southern states sought to retain the status quo with the doctrine of interposition others turned to secret organizations and violence. Negroes demonstrated their feelings in the Montgomery, Ala. bus boycott, and the Emmit Till murder case stunned the nation. The stock market hit new peaks as the nation went on a credit buying binge which began to worry the experts. But parents were worried more about the new Bock 'n Boll craze with such tunes as “See va Later Alligator,” and “Stay Off My Blue Suede Shoes,” which kept their children stomping in the dance halls late into the night. A few of our favorite tunes were Tennessee Krnie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons,” Roger Williams’ “Autumn Leaves,” and Vaughn Monroe’s version of “Black Denim Trousers.” “Guys and Dolls” was the year’s biggest movie musical, but “The Man With the Golden Arm” and others also hel| ed distract us from top television shows like “The $64,000 Question” “Ed Sullivan,” and “The Perry Como Show.” The national scene w as equally endowed with significant events—some of them with worldwide importance. President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack which panicked the nation, and the stock market as well. After weeks of intent waiting as the President progressed, the news came that Mr. Eisenhower had made a splendid recovery and would be available for re-election. A host of willing Democratic candidates, none of them able to gain complete party support, made it uncertain as to who bis opponent would be before convention time. We were amazed to read one morning that the FBI had captured the gang who committed the famous SI .000.000 Brinks robbery five years before. Most of us had forgotten all about it. Dr. Jonas Salk announced his discovery which gave new hope to polio victims and parents throughout the nation. And the government hastily assumed control of a project to produce enough of the Salk vaccine to inocculate the nation’s children. Racial segregation was a topic on the lips of everyone as the Supreme Court handed down

Page 14 text:

The period of watchful waiting and West which had begun soon after World War II continued with only minor changes. The whole world focused its attention upon the Geneva conference where the heads of the Big Four nations met to find a solution. For a while it appeared as though the “spirit of Geneva ' would produce the results everyone had been waiting for. and world optimism rose to new heights. But as time passed it became obvious that little would be accomplished to relieve the world tension. As we returned to classes in the fall. England was under a new leader. Anthony Eden. Winston Churchill, the old war horse who had led the tiny island so gallantly during the war, decided to continue his historical writing in earnest and add to the list of accomplishments which had already made him one of the most outstanding men of our time. Russia began a new policy of “friendship” by sending her leaders Premier Nikolai Bulganin and Communist Party First Secretary Nikita Krushchev to India, the Middle East, and England to demonstrate that thev were not such bad . And their talk of economic aid and world peace prompted cheers and handshaking in India. But when the B. and K. troupe came to British shores it was immediately apparent that they were in a hostile land, despite the royal gifts they bore. At the same time the memory of Josef Stalin fell victim to the very system he had helped to create and rule with an iron fist. Russian historians found themselves rewriting history once again as monuments to the one-time Russian god toppled and the very mention of his praised and revered name became “unpatriotic.” Mother Nature unleashed her wrath, too. with violent storms which took hundreds of lives all over the world. Both the east and west coasts of the United States suffered flooding rainstorms which caused wide-spread damage and prompted government aid, while central Europe suffered its most devastating storm of the century. Perhaps the brightest spot of all on the international scene was Monaco. For actress Grace Kelly captured the hearts of the world as she captured the heart of Prince Ranier to become his princess in the year’s most publicized wedding.

Page 16 text:

i' iftin While the yholofnjttion w such'things as the possibility ( madc oart h satellite into space, local events c ored for our attention as well. One of the big questions on campus this year was “Will the city pass the beer law raising the legal drinking age to 21?” Minors 18 years of age and older sighed with relief when they learned their refreshment privileges were still intact. Madisonians, and students as well, took time to watch with intense interest the“trial”of Police Chief Bruce Weatherly. For several weeks newspaper headlines screeched about the hearing’s progress, but after the dust had cleared, none of the 13 counts against Mr. Weatherly had been proven. The American Legion did some screeching of its own. as it attacked the University for maintaining subversive groups on the campus. In a running battle with the Daily Cardinal the Legion narrowed its complaint to the existence of the Labor Youth League. President E. B. Fred’s eloquent defense of the University’s prin- Guy Sundt, our beloved athletic JiTe orj died this year leaving memories of his devotion and service to the campus community. Ivy Williamson, the |x)pular football coach who had brought Wisconsin’s fighting Badgers to the fore,stepped into the vacant position. Dean of Women, Mrs. Mark (1. Troxell resigned this year after 25 years of service to her friends the coeds. Concrete evidence of tlie University’s construction and expansion program took the form of a new Commerce building, and the Memorial field house which saw their first use during the fall semester. In view of the future planning, these ultra-modern structures were just a sample of those to come. We students were more directly concerned with our own campus problems and how to deal with them. Increased University expansion was rapidly tightening the student housing and parking situation, and student leaders fought segregation on campus with the anti-bias petition.