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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 1440 MONROE ST |
|---|---|
| County | Dane |
| City/Village | Madison |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1916 |
|---|---|
| Additions | 1950, 1940,C. 1935, 1965, 1923, 2014 |
| Survey Date | 1973,2019,2022 |
| Historic Use | stadium/arena |
| Architectural Style | NA (unknown or not a building) |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Stone - Unspecified |
| Architect | Arthur Peabody (1916 and 1923 addition),Bureau of Engineering (Madison) (1940 addition),Ebling, Plunkett & Keyman (Milwaukee) (1950 addition),Osborne Engineering (Cleveland Oh) (1965 addition) |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. 2014 North Addition is called the Stephen M. Bennett Student-Athlete Performance Center. City of Madison, Wisconsin Underrepresented Communities Historic Resource Survey Report: The University of Wisconsin’s Athletic Department and its football team have been historically willing to integrate their team and were often at the forefront nationally in the process of encouraging diversity. The first Black football player with the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team was Leo Butts, who played beginning in 1918. However, the school did not record the race of its students and players until 1940, so it may not be precise. Edward Withers, Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1926 and moved to Madison with his family as a young boy. He lived in a non-extant apartment located at 754 West Washington Avenue. Eddie graduated from Madison’s old Central High School in 1944. After serving in the United States Army towards the end of World War II, he received his discharge in 1947 and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He started on the Badgers football team during his freshman year in 1947 but was ineligible to play during his second year in college. Withers returned to the field in 1949 as starting defensive halfback, a position he would keep for the next three years. Withers was considered an integral part of Wisconsin’s defense, which outscored their opponents with no offensive help for two years. The team won the Big Ten title in 1952, securing their first trip to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to the University of Southern California. While Withers was not the first Black man to participate in the University of Wisconsin-Madison athletics, he was arguably the most recognized, being the first to garner national attention as a college football All-American in 1952. Eddie married his wife Alita and had a son in 1951 while still a student, earning him the nickname among his teammates and fans of “Pop” and lived in Madison for a short time in a non-extant apartment located at 5 South Mills Street in the Greenbush neighborhood. Withers played and practiced along with student-athletes of all races and backgrounds in Camp Randall Stadium on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The large football stadium, located at 1440 Monroe Street, was constructed in 1916, with significant additions, alterations, and expansions in 1923, 1940, 1950, and 1965. The same site, before the 1920s, was also used as the university’s playing fields and athletic track. Wither’s performance in college attracted the attention of the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him in 1952; however, his pro football career was cut short when he was waived towards the end of training camp the following year. Wither’s lived the rest of his life in Milwaukee and died in 1975. After his death, the Madison chapter of the NAACP wrote to The Capital Times urging that Wither’s contributions be recognized, and two years later Withers was named to the Madison Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. Withers was added to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992. Since then the University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Department has made a conscious effort to celebrate the history of African Americans at the university and in college athletics generally. |
| Bibliographic References | University of Wisconsin-Madison: Update to the Preliminary Evaluation of Buildings and Structures for Eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, June 13, 2023. University of Wisconsin-Madison: Preliminary Evaluation of Buildings and Structures for Eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. September 2009. Feldman, Jim. “Buildings of the University of Wisconsin.” Madison, WI : UW Madison, Archives and Records Management Service, 2006. Originally published 1997. http://madcat.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7134919. Accessed: February 2012. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Office of Public Information, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tour Guide: South Campus, 1989. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Not Listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | |
| State Register Listing Date | |
| Contributing |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
Mayville Cardinals
November 1991
"As the Mayville Cardinal football team played for the championship at Camp Randall in Madison, this injured player watched from the sidelines."
Eddie Withers, University of Wisconsin Football Star
October 19, 1950
Eddie Withers, #11 on the University of Wisconsin football team, is shown with his 18 month old son, Eddie Withers III, after the Wisconsin team beat Iowa in a football game. Eddie also served in W...
CAMP RANDALL MEMORIAL PARK (RANDALL AVE, AT MONROE)
16068
Located in Madison, Dane County
Packers vs. Redskins at Camp Randall Stadium
August 22, 1987
Green Bay Packers in the middle of a play against the Washington Redskins in a preseason game that took place at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. The Packers lost 0 to 33.
Camp Randall Stadium
1909
Elevated view of a football game at Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Spectators are standing and sitting in the stands in the foreground. Caption reads: "Camp Randall, M...
University of Wisconsin vs. Marquette Football Game
September 29, 1951
Two coaches watch a play from the sidelines of the University of Wisconsin vs. Marquette football game at Camp Randall stadium.
