Author: Dale Devries
John M. Storzer
Winning coach and administrator After a stellar Ripon College coaching career leading both the football and baseball teams to multiple Midwest Conference championships, John Storzer died early at only age 53. He was born John McClain Storzer May 31, 1920, in Mountain, Wisconsin. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a gunnery officer in the […]
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William Schang
English William J. “Bill” Schang was a professor of English for 41 years from 1969 to 2011, and served as dean of faculty from 2002 to 2006. He was born Sept. 25, 1941, in Detroit, Michigan. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Schang joined the English faculty at Ripon College in 1969 […]
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Alfred Edward “Fred” Kahn
Economics Widely heralded as one of the most important economists of 20th-century America, Alfred E. Kahn was a political advisor who specialized in regulation and deregulation and is best known as the chief architect and promoter of deregulating the nation’s airlines and public utilities. He began his academic career as an assistant professor at Ripon […]
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George H. Miller
Scholar, historian, teacher A staunch advocate of historic preservation, George H. Miller was a Ripon College professor of history and the first Ralph Hale Ruppert Distinguished Professor of American History, Principles, and Traditions. He impacted not only the Ripon College Department of History, but also the historic and cultural life of the greater community around […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
George “Skip” H. Wittler
Biology George “Skip” H. Wittler, professor emeritus of biology, served Ripon College as a professor for 41 years and continues working with the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy. He was born Jan. 29, 1948, in New York City. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Carleton College, his master’s in botany from the University of Montana-Missoula […]
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Mary Williams-Norton
Making physics fun For 37 years, from 1975 to 2012, Mary E. Williams-Norton made it her mission to promote physics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes, not only to Ripon College students but also to younger students around the state of Wisconsin and the world. “Research showed that if children’s attention isn’t caught […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Kermit ‘Doc’ Weiske
Class of 1950: Mr. Basketball Athletics were a part of life for Kermit George “Doc” Weiske ever since grade school in Berlin, Wisconsin. He was born May 18, 1929, in Montello, Wisconsin. After graduating from high school at age 16, Weiske came to Ripon College in 1946, majored in physical education and played football, basketball […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Robert “Dr. Bob” Wallace
Rotifer expert Robert Lee Wallace, professor of biology from 1977 until retiring in 2019, has inspired generations of Ripon College students and brought to the world leading research on rotifers: microscopic, aquatic invertebrates. Wallace was born Oct. 12, 1948, in Queens, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Rhode Island […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
William Tyree
Philosophy William Earl Tyree spent his entire career at Ripon College. He was a professor of philosophy for 33 years from 1950-1983, 23 of those years as chairman of the department. He was the first to hold the Helen Swift Neilson Professor of Cultural Studies title, from 1969-83. Tyree retired in 1983 and received an […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Clarissa Tucker Tracy
‘Mother of Ripon College’ Clarissa Tucker Tracy was a botanist and the first female professor at Ripon College. Her scholarship and mentoring influence led to her being affectionately called “the mother of Ripon College.” Tracy was born Nov. 12, 1818, in Jackson, Pennsylvania. By the age of 14, she had started teaching while continuing her […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Thomas J. Oyster
Class of 1962: Chemistry Thomas J. Oyster, the nephew of L. Leone Oyster, also devoted his life to teaching chemistry at Ripon College. He was born Jan. 5, 1940, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At Ripon, he participated in Lambda Delta Alpha/Delta Upsilon. He earned his master’s degree in science at Purdue University. He started his […]
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(Laura) Leone Oyster
Class of 1919: Chemistry Professor Laura Leone Oyster, known throughout her life as Leone, was born in Ripon, educated at Ripon College, devoted the bulk of her career at the College, and spent her final years in Ripon, committed to her community. She was born Jan. 30, 1897, in Ripon. At the College, she majored […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Waclaw Jedrzejewicz
Slavic Studies From 1958 to 1963, the former Polish minister of education was the director of Slavic studies at Ripon College. In 1958, Ripon College applied for a grant to support a professor of sociology to the John Hay Whitney Foundation, an agency which placed outstanding teaching faculty in the humanities at independent colleges throughout […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Julie Heinz Johnson
Ground-Breaking Athletic Director Julie Heinz Johnson was Ripon’s first female athletic director, the Red Hawks’ winningest women’s basketball coach, and a beloved ambassador for Ripon College. She was born Sept. 16, 1965, in Ipswich, South Dakota. She earned her B.S. in health, physical education and recreation from Dakota State University, where she was a three-time […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
David Graham
Poet The power of the written word was promoted at Ripon College for 29 years by Professor of English and poet David Graham. He was born Feb. 28, 1953, in Johnstown, New York. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master of fine arts in poetry from the University of Massachusetts at […]
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Bob Gillespie
Winningest basketball coach For 33 years, Bob Gillespie took Ripon College athletics to new heights as a basketball coach, baseball coach, athletic director and associate professor of physical education. He remains today as the winningest basketball and baseball coach in Ripon College history with a combined record of 869-536-3. Robert G. Gillespie was born March […]
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Gordie Gillespie
Baseball National Baseball Coach Hall of Famer Gordie Gillespie led the Red Hawks as head baseball coach from 1996-2005. He was the father of former Ripon College coach Robert Gillespie. With 2,402 career victories in baseball, football and basketball over a 59-year career, Gordie Gillespie was one of the top college baseball coaches of all […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Seale Doss
Philosophy For 35 years, from 1964 to 1999, Seale R. Doss was a professor of philosophy at Ripon College. He was born Oct. 4, 1929, in Grapevine, Texas. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics, math and philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.
Ron Ernst
Football coach Red Hawks’ head football coach and defensive coordinator Ron Ernst retired at the end of the 2022 season after 32 seasons at the helm. He led the Red Hawks to 193 wins and 114 losses, making him the winningest football coach in both the Midwest Conference and Ripon College history. Ronald Lee Ernst […]
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.
Kurt R. Dietrich
Music Kurt R. Dietrich taught in the Department of Music for 39 years, retiring in 2019 as a professor of music and the Barbara Baldwin De Frees Chair in the Performing Arts, named after the 1930 Ripon College graduate and benefactress. Dietrich was born Aug. 27, 1951, and grew up in southwestern Virginia. He graduated […]
Posted by Dale Devries in Not News.