About 1942, Theodore Herfurth, class of '91, prominent insurance man and benefactor to the University of Wisconsin, undertook as a hobby an investigation of the origin and history of the “sifting and winnowing” bronze plaque, a memorial gift of the Class of 1910, which now rests on the wall in the loggia of Bascom Hall. Mr. Herfurth's primary interest was to establish the true authorship of the statement, “Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe 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 the process of gathering the facts, records, correspondence, reminiscences, excerpts from newspapers, and other sources, Herfurth brought together a modest collection of material relative to the influence of the progressive spirit of the 1910-1915 on the University of Wisconsin Regents, faculty, administrators, and students.
Mr. Herfurth's story was published in 1949; upon his death in the following year, the material he gathered for his investigation became the property of the Archives.
