The UW, times two? The idea came up 52 years ago

In the summer of 1965, the University of Wisconsin was talking about building a second campus in Madison…predicting that the school couldn’t hold more than 40,000 students on the existing U-W campus.  The guess was that Madison would reach the 40,000 mark by 1970.  A suggested site for the second campus was on farmland at the west side of Madison…in the general area where West Towne Mall eventually was built.  By comparison, the La Crosse State campus had just under 4000 students in the fall of ’65.
 
The Villa Louis mansion in Prairie du Chien was getting ready for its half-millionth visitor, who would be showered with prizes from local businesses.  The former home of fur-trading millionaire Hercules Dousman had been the property of the State Historical Society since 1962.
 
A newspaper ad announced that there were only six tickets left for a Beatles bus trip to Minneapolis on August 21st.  The band played its only Minnesota concert ever on a Saturday night at Met Stadium in Bloomington, the home of the Twins and Vikings.  
 
A touring production of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” played for two shows at the Coleman Auditorium.  The biggest name in the cast was Jack Bailey, the long-time host of the TV show “Queen for a Day.”  Bailey took on the father role played by Paul Lynde on Broadway and in the 1963 movie.  Hello to “Birdie”…52 years ago, 1965, yesterday in La Crosse.