Thank you to our donors, volunteers, and the entire Ripon community Ripon, WI — Rally Day #2 proved to be a powerful day of generosity and community spirit as the Ripon College family came together to exceed its goal of 1,075 donors in celebration of the College’s 175th anniversary. Throughout the day, alumni, families, students, […]
Ripon, WI — Rally Days 2026 is off to a strong and inspiring start as the Ripon College community came together to exceed the Day 1 goal of $175,000, raising just over $208,000. This momentum helped propel the Ripon Fund to $1.6 million in total support to date. More than 400 gifts were made, with […]
Abendroth, one of the longest-serving trustees, benefactor and part of four generations of Ripon alumni, receives annual award. Because of his extraordinary and continuous service to Ripon College, Robert V. Abendroth, Class of 1951, will receive Ripon College’s 2026 Founders’ Day Award in the College’s 175th anniversary year. The Founders’ Day Award honors an individual […]
An exhibit of art created by local artists will be on display in the Caestecker Art Gallery of Ripon College’s C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts from Tuesday, Jan. 20 through Friday, Feb. 13. A reception and discussion will be held Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. The exhibit, curated by four Ripon College students, […]
Mary B. Rose ’66 recently released her debut book, a middle-grade historical novel, designed for readers who appreciate coming-of-age narratives. Titled “Evelyn AM, Daydreamer,” the book details the life of Evelyn Arndt, an eleven-year-old fifth-grade student living in a small Wisconsin town in 1934. She hopes that one day, she’ll be able to rescue her […]
Myat Thinzar Aung ’16 was selected as one of two recipients of the D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize for excellence in doctoral research for her study of sensory experiences in ancient Roman villas. Her dissertation originated from a digital reconstruction project during her master’s studies at the University of Iowa, where she recreated the garden and […]
Guy Dutcher ’87, chief judge of the fourth judicial administrative district, was recently selected to serve as chair of the Wisconsin Committee of Chief Judges by his fellow chief judges. “I’m serving the judiciary, and I adamantly, firmly believe in the necessity of an independent, neutral third branch of government, which is the judiciary,” Dutcher […]
Inspired by encouragement from two of his former students, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Licensed Psychologist Joe Hatcher, Ph.D., recently published a book on improving your thinking ability through a variety of scenarios and examples. The book, “Why Didn’t Anyone Teach Me This Before?: Gentle Lessons in Teaching from a Long-Time Professor of Psychology,” addresses […]
Robert Amsden, professor emeritus of theatre at Ripon College, is directing “Rope,” a gripping suspense drama presented by the Oshkosh Community Players (OCP), at The Grand Oshkosh Sept. 25-27. After a 27-year career at the Ripon College Theatre Department, where he directed and designed more than 50 productions, Amsden has joined the OCP board this […]
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra returns for its 51st performance at Ripon College. The free performance will take place Sunday, Sept. 21, at 3:15 p.m. in the field house of Willmore Center. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend and no tickets are required. Associate Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Ryan Tani will conduct, […]
Sarah Anderson ’10 has been selected as one of the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) 2025 Early Career Fellows for her landscape ecology work. “Receiving this recognition is truly humbling,” Anderson said. “To have your entire professional community recognize the work you do is significant, especially when my work doesn’t quite measure up to the […]
Ripon College graduate student Mikayla Flyte is among the finalists to become the Wisconsin agriculture spokesperson and ambassador Alice in Dairyland. “I am honored to be a top candidate for the 78th Alice in Dairyland,” Flyte said. “I am really excited about the opportunity to learn more about Wisconsin agriculture and represent the diverse agribusinesses […]
Classical pianist and vocalist Alicia (Rhyner) Rytlewski ’10 will perform an alumna piano and voice recital in Demmer Recital Hall of Ripon College’s C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts Saturday, April 26, at 7 p.m. Rytlewski will be performing pieces mostly from her debut album of songs, “When We Were Bears,” released in late January. […]
Ripon College surpassed its goal of achieving 1,000 gifts during the eighth annual spring giving event, Rally Days 2025, from April 2-4, with more than eight hours left of the event. At the end of Rally Days, the College received 1,091 gifts and raised $506,534.20. The theme this year was “Impact History.” Every contribution moved […]
Danielle Paiz Gunter ’06 is helping feed dogs and cats in no-kill shelters. As executive director of Puppy Food Bank, she spearheads efforts to collect donations that fuel the work of rescue organizations across the country. Since its founding in October 2022, Gunter has helped Puppy Food Bank distribute more than 500,000 pounds of dog […]
Frank Smoll ’63, Ph.D., recently published an e-book for youth sport parents after enjoying a career as a developmental sport psychologist and professor emeritus of the University of Washington. Titled “Sports and Your Young Athlete: Developing Champions in Sports and Life,” the e-book provides comprehensive information that assists parents in enhancing the well-being of their […]
In 1964, the Ripon College chapter of Alpha Chi Omega made history by pledging Lezlie Heard Bishop ’66. It is historic because Bishop is believed to be the first black woman to pledge a National Panhellenic sorority. According to Bishop, Ripon’s Alpha Phi chapter also was interested in pledging her, but the national office of […]
Jeffrey Frost ’89 is a specialist in Central and South American archaeology. Since graduating with his major in anthropology from Ripon, Frost has conducted archaeological research in Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Mexico and throughout the Midwest and eastern United States. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is currently an […]
Ulysses S. Doss Jr. ’57 was the first African American to become an ordained minister in Wisconsin and first to become a full professor at University of Montana-Missoula. It was at Missoula where, in 1968, he worked with students to found what was just the second African-American Studies program in the nation. He served as […]
In 1951, Delroy L. Cornick ’52 became the first black student to be elected president of the Ripon College Student Senate (referred to as Student Council at the time). It was not without controversy, however, as his opponent dropped out of the race, “refusing to compete against a black” (Ripon Magazine Winter 2000). Later, the […]
Who was the first black student at Ripon College? It is a challenging question. Over the years, it has been thought to be answered and then corrected. Turner Jones, class of 1939, of Piney Woods, Mississippi, was incorrectly identified in the Spring 2001 issue of Ripon Magazine as the first African American to attend Ripon. […]