This week Madison will have the opportunity to see living examples of the University of Wisconsin’s best tradition. In a gathering at the Memorial Union, we at the Wisconsin Alumni Association will be handing out the university’s Distinguished Alumni Awards.
But the awards aren’t the tradition I’m talking about — they’re just a bit of recognition, a highlight on UW-Madison’s true source of greatness. The university’s strength flows from its students, graduates, faculty, and staff. They’re the heart of the UW’s best tradition, which is encapsulated in the Wisconsin Idea, the principle that the university’s true purpose is to spread the influence of education and research to serve the entire state and indeed the world.