The Milwaukee Humanities Program began in 1976 after Henry Bates of the Milwaukee Public
Library, Father Gasset of Marquette University, and William Halloran, G. Micheal Riley, and
William Tracy of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee secured a planning grant for a
Milwaukee humanities program from the National Endowment for the Humanities. UWM became the
fiscal agent of this grant with Dean William F. Halloran serving as an administrative
supervisor and Professor Xavier Baron as project director. An office with staff support was
set up in Sandburg Hall, and program development began 1 March 1977. In 1979, NEH funds were
denied for Stage II of the program's development. That same year, Xavier Baron resigned, and
Professor Frederick I. Olson became the executive director. Without additional funds, Dr.
Olson focused on completing projects in progress, then began to phase out the program in the
spring of 1981.
