“Sift & Winnow.” It’s the name of the College of Letters & Science monthly newsletter and the phrase that’s at the heart of what we do here at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. If you’ve spent time on campus, it’s likely you’ve heard it over the years. But where did it come from?
The story dates back to 1894, when economist Richard Ely was accused of teaching “utopian, impractical, or pernicious doctrines.” An investigation found him innocent, and the UW Board of Regents introduced the concept of academic freedom to the university in a statement:
Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe that the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.
In short, the act of sifting and winnowing is to bravely and rigorously separate truth from falsehood through continuous, fearless debate and inquiry. The class of 1910 ensured that this statement made it onto a plaque that hangs on the front exterior wall of Bascom Hall. And now, an etching of the plaque done by hand by two L&S alumni hangs in the entryway of South Hall, the administrative home of the College of Letters & Science.
“I grew up learning about sifting and winnowing from my grandparents and my parents,” says Martha Taylor (’71), who is a third-generation Badger and the first woman vice president at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA). “It was so important to them, and they drilled the principles into me.”
It was the fall of 1975 when Martha’s father, Fayette Taylor (’48, JD’51), called her and asked her to take the day off of work. He had just visited England, where he had done brass rubbings, and he wanted to get one of his favorite plaque at UW–Madison. Fayette, always a detail-oriented man, had bought special paper and charcoal for the task.
Martha had just started her career at WFAA and didn’t have much vacation time banked, but she found a way to take the day off with her father anyway. Together they marched up Bascom Hill, taped up the etching paper and carefully started creating their print. As they were working, Irving Shain, who was chancellor at the time, walked by and asked what they were up to. They talked with him about the meaning behind the words and the importance of the Wisconsin Idea and academic freedom.
“Academic knowledge is a sacred thing, and you have to protect it from outside influence, otherwise society can’t move forward,” says Martha, who is as passionate about these principles in retirement as she was the day she etched the plaque. “I think it is really important, especially right now, to remind people of this important principle. A university’s function in society is to sift and winnow ideas, even if those ideas aren’t in favor with society or politicians.”
Since that day, the etching has moved around. Fayette rolled it up and shipped it back to his California home where he and his wife Esther Hougen Taylor (’44, MA’48) framed and hung it proudly. When he passed, it moved to Martha’s office at WFAA, where it served as a reminder of the important work she was doing to increase support for the university. She brought it home when she retired, welcomed by her equally passionate husband Gary Antoniewicz (’73, JD’78).
It stayed there until one serendipitous evening when she ran into the Dean of the College of Letters & Science, Eric M. Wilcots, who is now serving as Interim Chancellor for UW–Madison. She told him about the etching, and the two of them agreed that it would be a perfect fit for the South Hall entryway. She had it reframed, and now it serves as a constant reminder to leadership and South Hall guests of the college’s history and mission.
