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. […]
E. D. (Edward Daniel) Fruth, Ripon College Class of 1912, has been elected to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Fruth was at Fond du Lac (Wisconsin) High School for 26 years, from 1914 until his death in 1941. He had served as the coach of the basketball, football and golf teams and […]
“I came to Ripon knowing that I’m gay,” says Brad Balof ’00. “While many would think moving to a small town would be a step backwards, I really found a group of friends and allies that supported me and, in some ways, protected me.” “I come from a generation where larger high schools usually had […]
Frankie Reynolds ’14, more commonly known as Rosette Reynolds during her time as a student at Ripon College, “came out” as a high school freshman at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “By the time I got to Ripon, I was a fairly confident, established gay who had a community back at home to fall […]
The Rev. Lois Van Leer attended Ripon at a time when gay students had very few outlets to discuss their sexuality. She realized as a sophomore that she is a lesbian, but she also knew she wanted to be a minister. At the time, those were considered conflicting interests by many. “I was at Ripon […]
Zachary Morris ’02 has been named chair of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Human Oncology. A leading expert on innovative approaches to cancer therapy, Morris is a radiation oncologist at UW Health and an associate professor of human oncology. He joined the faculty in 2016 and two years […]
Rally Days 2024 is LIVE! Our goal is to secure 1,000 gifts to support the Forever Ripon campaign between Wednesday, April 3, and Friday, April 5. Celebrate the future of Ripon College and the Forever Ripon campaign today! Make your gift! Visit RALLYDAYS.RIPON.EDU to learn more about matching gift challenges and special campaign priorities: Ripon Fund, Franzen Science Center and Residence […]
James P. Danky ’70 is the guest curator for the exhibit “Pow-litical Comics: From Ripon to the RNC,” to run April 12 to July 22 at St. Kate — The Arts Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. April 19. The exhibit is scheduled to coincide with the Republican […]
Mark Franzen ’83 of Paradise Valley, Arizona, and Green Lake, Wisconsin, will begin his term as the new chair of the Ripon College Board of Trustees at the February board meeting. Since joining the board in 2010, Franzen has held numerous leadership positions including chair of the Committee on Academic Affairs, Board secretary and membership […]
Julie Streich ’92 of Farmington, Connecticut, recently was appointed to the board of directors and its audit committee by Schneider National Inc. of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services. She states that as a member of Schneider’s board of directors, she will provide governance, oversight and guidance on major decision-making […]
Students participating in the summer Momentum Leadership Fellows Program took a field trip to the Milwaukee Zoo Aug. 11 and met with Jodi Gibson ’89, CEO of the Milwaukee Zoological Society. Gibson talked about how her time at Ripon College changed her life. Momentum, now in its third year, is a summer bridge for highly […]