This week marks the centenary of a landmark known to UW-Madison alumni everywhere: the statue of Abraham Lincoln seated in front of Bascom Hall.
The sculpture was a duplicate made by Adolph Weinman, who created the original for Lincoln’s birthplace. When he agreed to cast a single replica, requests came from around the nation, but Madison won the bidding. Philanthropist Thomas E. Brittingham covered the cost in honor of the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.