On April 30th, 2022, we honored Professor Emeritus William Cronon, who held the position of Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies here at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, before his recent retirement. In his moving keynote address, “Looking Back on a Long Journey: People, Places, and Stories,” Professor Cronon discussed his journey towards becoming a historian. Sue Zaeske, Associate Dean for Advancement for the College of Letters and Sciences, offered introductory remarks.
A quick note: Bill wanted everyone to know that he is embarrassed to have misspoken in the middle of the talk when he described his wife Jennifer Dueck as a Millennial. She is in fact a proud Gen Xer, as Bill knows well. Bill jokes that this mistake demonstrates the perils of extemporaneous speaking!