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: […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Class of 1986: Retired U.S. Diplomat Robert Needham has long been a citizen of the world. He was born Sept. 30, 1964, in England and grew up in Northern Ireland before immigrating to Wisconsin with his parents in 1979. As a high school student in Racine, Wisconsin, he was selected to attend Badger Boys State […]
Class of 1875: State tax commissioner (Kosseth) Kent Kennan was a lawyer specializing in tax law. He was born Nov. 17, 1851, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. At Ripon, he studied the classical course and languages. He was the assistant for College Days in 1873, was a member of the Mendelssohn Society, participated in plays, organized the […]
Class of 1975: Intelligence officer For more than 45 years, Charles Eric “Rick” Estberg served the U.S. government as a linguist, senior intelligence officer, instructor and foreign relations manager. He was born Jan. 22, 1954, in Redwood City, California. At Ripon, had a combined foreign language major – German, Russian and French – and got […]
Class of 1978: Leading his country to change José Miguel Alemán played an important role in restoring democracy to Panama and stimulating national economic prosperity. He was born May 8, 1956, in Panama City, Panama, but spent much of his childhood in Washington, D.C., where his father, Roberto Alemán Zubieta, was a leading negotiator for […]
Class of 1949: Vice president of Panama Roderick Lorenzo Esquivel, a doctor, professor and politician, served as the second vice president of the Republic of Panama from 1984-1988. He previously had been a member of the National Directory of the Liberal Party; minister of Labor, Social Welfare and Public Health; president of the Liberal Party […]
Class of 1980: Archivist Mark Allen Greene was a leading influential archivist and helped establish a core set of values to advance the profession and preserve historical material for future generations. “Archivists are professionals charged by society as a whole or institution to preserve primary source material, unpublished in textual, visual and sound format,” he […]