Author: Dale Devries
H. Jerome Thompson
Athletics and faith As a coach and later a professor, Herman Jerome “Jerry” Thompson helped merge athletics with academics during his tenure at Ripon College. He was born March 25, 1923, in Baldwin, Wisconsin. He attended St. Olaf College from 1941 to 1944 when he transferred to University of Wisconsin. He graduated in 1946 and […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Peter T. Bock
Class of 1962: NASA, Artificial intelligence Peter Bock has been seeking out possibilities for the future throughout his career as an international expert on artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive science. He was born in June 1941 and grew up in Chicago. At Ripon, he studied physics and drama. He also enjoyed a three-year collaboration with […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Richard Austin Kraft
Class of 1958: Bishop of Pretoria From foundational studies at Ripon College to standing up against the apartheid government in South Africa, the Right Rev. Richard Austin Kraft was led by a call to Christian service. He was born June 3, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. At Ripon, he majored in philosophy and history, was a […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
James A. Peterson
Class of 1934: Family counseling James A. Peterson was a clergyman who left the pulpit to become a sociology professor and gerontologist who discussed marriage and family problems for many years on Art Linkletter’s CBS television series “House Party.” He helped advance the concept of marriage counseling as a profession and the importance of the […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
William Chester Jordan
Class of 1969: Medievalist Ripon College’s multifaceted approach allowed William Chester Jordan to study in numerous areas and ultimately major in history, Russian and mathematics. The determination to become an educator was paramount. “The truth is that the life of the mind that had always intrigued me and appealed to me — the idea of […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Bruno E. Jacob
Class of 1922: National Forensic League The National Forensic League, now called the National Speech and Debate Association, was founded on the Ripon College campus in 1925. It is the nation’s oldest and largest high school debate and speech honor society, encouraging and motivating students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Announcing Strategic Academic Expansion, New Programs in High-Demand Fields
Ripon College today announced a significant expansion of its academic offerings, driven by a comprehensive academic program review and departmental self-assessment aimed at aligning the College’s curriculum with student interest and career opportunity in a changing higher education landscape. “We examined what today’s students need to thrive — in the classroom and after graduation,” said […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Academics, Admission, Faculty, Homepage Featured, Office of the President, Staff, Student.
William Davies
Class of 1915: President at Eau Claire William Robert “W.R.” Davies was a Wisconsin educator who was named the second president of Eau Claire State Teachers College in December 1940. He served in that role until his death in 1959. Davies was born Aug. 19, 1893, in Tenino, Washington, and grew up on a farm […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Theodore Brameld
Class of 1926: Educational philosopher Theodore Burghard Hurt Brameld was a philosopher and visionary educator who developed the Social Reconstructionism theory of education and impacted educational thought and practice through the latter part of the 20th century. He was born Jan. 20, 1904, in Neillsville, Wisconsin. He majored in English and speech communication at Ripon […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Erika Doss
Class of 1978: Art and Culture Erika Doss, Class of 1978, is acknowledged as one of the country’s eminent scholars in American art history, popular culture and public culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Now serving as a professor of art history and the Edith O’Donnell Distinguished Chair in Art History at The University […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Ulysses S. Doss
Class of 1957, advocated for love, peace, equity Ulysses S. Doss was a civil rights champion and a proponent for social justice for all. During the turbulent 1960s, he led civil rights activities as an ordained minister on Chicago’s west side. He founded the Christian Action Ministry, a local civil rights group focused on racial […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Scott Strazzante
Class of 1986: Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer From dynamic sports photos, to riveting new images, to compelling long-term picture stories, Scott Angelo Strazzante’s images have shared his unique vision of major events and everyday life. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle and Chicago Tribune, a book author and an independent photographer […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Dennis J. Conta
Class of 1962: Politics and public service For nearly 50 years, Dennis Conta has impacted public policy and politics in the state of Wisconsin as a State Representative, a Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and a public policy consultant. He was born Dennis John Conta on March 24, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Todd Keil
Class of 1984: Keeping the world secure From the U.S. Department of State to the Department of Homeland Security to the private sector, Todd Keil has built a career aiming to establish security and risk mitigation and protecting people, facilities, and intellectual property assets. He was born in March 1962 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. At […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Brittany “McKey” Sullivan Alvey
Class of 2013 After winning the 11th cycle of the “America’s Next Top Model,” Brittany “McKey” Sullivan embarked on a successful modeling career that took her around the world. She was born in September 1988, in Lake Forest, Illinois. At Ripon, she majored in politics and government and chemistry-biology and was a member of the […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Robert V. “Spud” Hannaford
Philosophy For more than half a century, Professor of Philosophy Emeritus Robert V. “Spud” Hannaford has been a devoted supporter of Ripon College: as a beloved teacher, a dedicated scholar and conference organizer, and a sustaining supporter. He was born in September 1929 in Anderson, Indiana. He received his undergraduate degree from Wabash College in […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Douglas A. Northrop
English Why study English? “Because it’s fun. There is no finer explanation,” said Douglas A. Northrop, whose half-century of service to Ripon College from 1960-2012 encompassed being a professor and chair of the department in the Department of English, vice president and dean of faculty, and myriad other roles. “Literature gives insights into human nature. […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
William J. Woolley
History Throughout his 31 years at Ripon College, Professor of History William J. Woolley shared his love of history with his students and the community. For himself, he said he sees history as a way get access to and understand peoples and cultures of times other than his own as well as a means to […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Jada Johnson’s Barcelona Journey
I studied abroad with Barcelona SAE during the Spring 2026 semester because I had always felt there was more of the world I wanted to experience beyond my everyday life in small-town Wisconsin. I did not want to simply read about different places or watch videos online; instead I wanted to experience them in person […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Soo Yin Brown’s Barcelona Journey
I have always been interested in studying abroad since high school when I would meet students from the exchange programs. When Ripon advertised their study abroad program and I attended several information sessions, I saw it as an exciting opportunity that would push me out of my comfort zone. I have always been an anxious […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Elmer Addison Morse
Class of 1893: U.S. Representative Elmer Addison Morse was a lawyer and politician, and he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin’s 10th District from March 4, 1907, through March 3, 1913. He was born May 11, 1870, in Franksville, Wisconsin, and attended the common and public schools of Racine […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.