University of Wisconsin (1956-1971)

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The University of Wisconsin was an organization of higher education in the state of Wisconsin that existed from 1956 until 1971. The number of its campuses varied in different years.

Before 1956, the University of Wisconsin included its Madison campus and 10 freshman-sophomore centers and state-wide extensions.^[1]

Pressed by the growing demand for a large public university that offers graduate programs in Wisconsin's largest city, Wisconsin lawmakers passed a motion in 1955 to create another University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In 1956, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was created as a result of the merger between the old University of Wisconsin and the former Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee. The new campus consisted of both the Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee campus near the lakefront and the University of Wisconsin extension in downtown Milwaukee.

In 1968, another two University of Wisconsin campuses were created in Green Bay and Kenosha. By 1971, the University of Wisconsin consisted of campuses at Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Parkside.^[1]

In 1971, Wisconsin lawmakers passed a law to merge the University of Wisconsin with the Wisconsin State Universities to create the University of Wisconsin System. These two higher education systems were brought under a single board of regents.