175 Years of History

In 1851, a group of German immigrants, dissatisfied with Milwaukee public schools’ limited curriculum and focus on rote memorization, formed a new school for their children. It was called the German-English Academy and it opened its doors in July of that year with 50 students. By 1871, enrollment had climbed to 450 boys and girls.

That same year, 1851, a formal legislative charter was issued to the Milwaukee Normal Institute and High School—a school for girls. The milestone was reached with the help of Catharine Beecher (sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe), who had visited Milwaukee one year earlier to speak on the importance of education for women. The school’s first few years were tenuous. School mothers held festivals, bazaars, and concerts to raise funds for teacher salaries and the construction of a three-classroom building. Eventually, enrollment grew and leadership stabilized.

These two schools, which later became Milwaukee University School and Milwaukee Downer Seminary, respectively, started as seeds of an idea planted by a small number of aspirational parents who valued a high-quality education that held students to a high standard. Those values are still very much alive today, 175 years since the schools were founded, and 61 years since they merged with Milwaukee Country Day School, to form University School of Milwaukee. 

As USM celebrates 175 years of history in 2026, it is worthwhile to look back and celebrate those individuals, ideals, and traditions that helped shape who we are today. Without their visionary leadership and financial support, USM would look very different today.

1910s-1963: Early Beginnings

Before there was one school—University School of Milwaukee—there were three: Milwaukee University School (coed), Milwaukee Downer Seminary (all girls), and Milwaukee Country Day School (all boys). While they shared similarities like challenging curricula, high expectations for students and faculty, and a focus on athletics, they each had their own cultures, beloved teachers, and cherished traditions.

Talks of merging the schools gained traction in the early 1960s, when rising costs, limited budgets, small endowments, and the fear of losing quality faculty to low salaries became urgent realities faced by all three schools. “Besides,” said William Messinger MCDS’33, then-president of the MCDS board, “it seemed ridiculous to support three private schools within five miles of each other.”

By 1963, negotiations were complete. A merger of the three schools, administrators promised, would provide a larger enrollment, greater breadth and depth of curriculum, a strengthened faculty, and overall excellence resulting from common leadership. Students, faculty, and parents were less sure. Faculty worried about losing their jobs. Students feared they would lose cherished traditions, or that one school’s culture would dominate the others. MUS parents and students alike were sad to leave their campus on Hartford Avenue. To them, the future felt uncertain at best.

1964-1974: USM’s Early Years

The newly formed USM opened its doors on two separate campuses for the 1964-65 school year: the “north” campus, which housed grades 1 through 6 and the Upper School girls, on Fairy Chasm Road in River Hills, and the “south” campus, which housed grades 7 and 8 and the Upper School boys, on Santa Monica Boulevard in Whitefish Bay. The school colors were the blue of MUS, the white of MDS, and the gold of MCDS. Students chose Wildcats as the nickname, and the football team created instant spirit and unity by winning all of its games that season.

Despite the initial concerns, it didn’t take long for the benefits of one unified school to become obvious. An expanded curriculum meant students had a wider variety of classes to choose from. The athletics program added new sports, and USM students were competing against a larger number of schools. The student body grew more diverse, and a larger scholarship fund attracted students from metropolitan Milwaukee and beyond. As the school became more well known, it began to attract experienced applicants for teaching and administrative roles from all around the country.

1983-1985: Campus Consolidation

USM operated for several decades on two campuses until, in January 1983, the Board of Trustees announced a major expansion of the north campus and investment in the endowment, paid for by a $10 million capital fund drive and the sale of the south campus. New spaces included the Virginia Henes Young Theatre, the administrative wing, the Stratton Upper School Library, Polly and Henry Uihlein Sr. Ice Arena, Chester/Read Tennis Courts, and Upper School building, among others, designed to accommodate everyone under one roof.

Commencement exercises in May 1985 were the last to be held on the south campus. In June, the south campus’ flags were lowered and prefects Maria Acevedo ’85 and Michael Grebe ’85 led dozens of alumni, students, and faculty on a 4.5 mile run, walk, or bike to the north campus where the flags were raised and celebrations began. All were welcomed by then-Head of Lower School Fanny Cracknell, who said, “We are incomplete without you—all of you—students and faculty, who have been separated from us.” In September 1985, the unified campus opened its doors to 770 students.  

1990s-Present: Eye on the Future

As the 1990s yielded to the early aughts, and following significant endowment growth in the decade prior, USM continued to innovate and improve. In 1996, school-wide internet access launched, and computers were added to classrooms, labs, and libraries by the end of the year. USM marked a major milestone in 2001 when it celebrated 150 years since the German-English Academy and Milwaukee Normal Institute and High School were founded. An “Evening to Remember” celebration was held to commemorate the milestone. 

Over the next two decades, fundraising campaigns and large construction projects led to continued innovation in curricular offerings as well as student and faculty support. The school remained at the forefront of innovation and academic success. But the real test came in March 2020, when USM closed its doors following a state-wide mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Relying on school resources and the ability to pivot quickly, administrators launched its distance learning program, USM@HOME. In August 2020, following months of planning and preparation, the school reopened to in-person learning (virtual learning optional) with robust testing and mask policies. The large incoming class of students indicated strong parental support for the school’s approach and faith in its administrators.

In its long history, the school has persevered through devastating pandemics, depressions, recessions, wars, mergers, political and social shifts, and massive technological advances. But through it all, it has remained—and continues to remain—faithful to its mission of providing an exceptional PK-12 independent school education. Thanks to leadership that values fiscal responsibility and consideration of the school’s mission in all decisions, along with tireless support from parents, the school rests on a solid foundation for the next 175 years. 

Explore a Timeline of USM's History

A Culture of Belonging is Nothing New

USM’s culture of belonging and service to others can be directly tied to our predecessor schools. A 1930 article in the Chicago Daily Tribune about MUS was titled “School Without a Snob” and focused on its inclusiveness and commitment to service. Those efforts were further reinforced by MUS director Frank Spigener, whose focus on character development is echoed in today’s Common Trust.

As an all-girls school, MDS was unique in its focus on challenging, respecting, and encouraging girls’ intellectual and physical well-being. Service to others was also emphasized. MDS’ Welfare Committee collected food and toys for underprivileged families and raised money for charities. During World War II, the club made food baskets for convalescing servicemen. By 1952, the club was donating money to the Red Cross. 

MCDS students also supported the war efforts, growing a victory garden and forming a High School Victory Corps, a war support organization run by the federal government. In 1942, the junior class held a party for servicemen instead of a prom. 

These collective efforts reflect how our predecessor schools understood care and connection within the context of their time. As USM has evolved, so has our sense of what it means to create a truly inclusive community—one that welcomes a wide range of identities and experiences while staying rooted in our longstanding values. 

An issue of “The Academy,” MUS’ student newspaper, dated May 1, 1936, features a front-page article about a visit from Jo Devadanum, a citizen of Hyderabad, India, who spoke to students about world peace, international relations, and life in India.

Decades of Athletic Excellence

Athletics was a core component of school life at all three predecessor schools, although it looked different for girls and boys. MUS had a wide-ranging sports program that attempted to enlist every student in some type of athletic competition. Boys played football in the fall, basketball, wrestling, or swimming in the winter, and track or tennis in the spring. In 1957, the MUS boys’ basketball team began a winning streak that was one of the longest in Wisconsin high school history and is still the longest—58 consecutive victories—in school history. Girls at MUS, meanwhile, could choose from interscholastic field hockey, volleyball, basketball, or softball depending on the season, but their access to practice fields, uniforms, and equipment was limited in comparison to their male counterparts.

Athletics dominated at MCDS, with early school leaders deciding that strenuous sport was good preparation for adult life. The school benefited immensely from legendary coaches Clarence “Razz” Rasmussen and Ken Laird (both football), and Bill Church (hockey), among others. The MCDS football teams from 1947 to 1950 achieved a collective 27-0 record, with MCDS scoring 730 points in those four years, while their opponents scored a combined 129 points. In Laird’s 40 years of coaching, the football team won 195 games and lost only 45, with 12 undefeated seasons.

Athletic rivalries between MUS and MCDS were intense. Basketball and football games produced sellout crowds and, in some cases, minor vandalism. The animosity between the two schools was so strong in the mid-1930s that administrators considered ending their athletic relationship altogether, until a meeting between the schools’ athletes and coaches eased the tension, and games resumed.

Girls at MDS were strongly encouraged to participate in athletics and had many options to choose from. By 1911, tennis, field hockey, bowling, basketball, and ice skating were all offered. Dorothy Weisel was largely responsible for the school’s unique emphasis on sports and fitness. She taught gym, headed the athletic association, and coached every sport at MDS, retiring in 1963 after 29 years. Pioneering athletes like Marion Chester Read MDS’37 and Alice Kieckhefer Fajen MDS’44 paved the way for generations of female athletes who followed.

Football helmet, pictured, owned by Allan J. Roberts Jr. MUS’31, recipient of the Sportsmanship Trophy in 1931 (now called the Henry H. Uihlein Sportsmanship Trophy). Vintage field hockey stick dated from the 1940s or ’50s.

Notable Predecessor School Alumni

These alumni made groundbreaking advancements in media, medicine, science, philanthropy, manufacturing, and more! 

Read About Our Notable Predecessor School Alumni

Color Teams Build School Spirit

USM’s Upper School established a house system in 2010, which builds strong relationships across grade levels and includes friendly competitions throughout the year. But the concept originated in USM’s predecessor schools. At MDS, all girls were divided into red and white teams, and they stayed on those teams for the remainder of their time at the school. The teams competed in athletics, academics, and other contests for the chance to win points for their team. Each team wore a red or white sweatshirt for color day athletic contests, and the senior girl who accumulated the most points during her four years won the all-school cup. 

At MCDS, the student body was divided into green and gold teams for its annual field day, a day-long competition in track and field events. At MUS, all girls competed on blue or white intramural teams, where they could earn points for their team throughout the year. Today, USM’s house system honors predecessor schools with the incorporation of predecessor school colors and publication names.

House Names Have Roots

Today’s Upper School students are sorted into one of four houses as freshmen, where they remain for all four years. The houses are named after predecessor school publications, and feature a mix of colors from those schools.

• Ledger House: Named after the MCDS student newspaper
• Academy House: Named after the MUS yearbook and student newspaper
• Crest House: Named after the MDS yearbook
• Arrow House: Named after the MCDS yearbook

School Mottos

• “Alis Volat Propriis” (MCDS): He Flies with His Own Wings
• “Sit Lux” (MDS): Let There be Light
• “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (MUS): To the Stars Through Hardships
• “E Tribus Una” (USM): From Three, One

172 Years of Parent Partnership

USM’s Parents’ Association has provided vital financial and volunteer support for many decades. At USM, the organization dates back to 1854, when mothers from the German-English Academy formed the “Milwaukee Frauenverein,” to provide sewing and cooking instruction to their daughters. The Mothers’ Association of MCDS was established in 1920, followed by the Mothers’ Association of MDS in 1942, although both schools benefited immensely from mothers’ volunteer efforts for many years prior to being formally organized. 

The mothers were a vital source of support for school events, served as an advisory council for administration, and provided generous financial support to benefit athletics, libraries, building maintenance, and other school functions. Today, every USM parent belongs to the Parents’ Association, which sponsors vital fundraising and community-building events like the Holiday Shops and Grandparents and Special Friends Day. 

Respect, Trust, Honesty, Fairness, and Kindness Go Way Back 

USM’s Common Trust, the community’s shared commitment to respect, trust, honesty, fairness, and kindness, was established in the 1990s. But its roots can be traced back to the Thompson Trophy, established in 1938 by Frank Spigener, then-director of MUS, and given to the graduating senior who best represented the character of MUS. Inscribed on the trophy are six lines: 

“Not what you get, but what you give / Not what you say, but how you live / Give the world the love it needs / Living a life of noble deeds / Strong for the right – the good – the true / These are the things worthwhile to you.”

When Robert Burch MUS’52 did not receive the award his senior year (in fact, nobody received it in 1952), he was devastated. Despite his many successes in life, he never forgot about the Thompson Trophy. “Those words probably did more for me than anything,” he said. “They were character-setting values that resonated with me for many years.”

Although it stopped being awarded after the merger in 1964, Burch sought to revive the trophy’s ethos in 2016 with a gift of $50,000 to establish an endowed fund for the Frank S. Spigener Service and Leadership Award. Since then, it has been given annually to a senior who demonstrates the spirit of caring, humanitarianism, and volunteerism exemplified by Spigener. 

Wanted: Predecessor School Memorabilia

Did you know that USM maintains an archive of memorabilia and documents dating back to 1851? If you have any items from any point in the school’s history collecting dust in your home, we’ll gladly take them off your hands! Contact Will Piper ’96, assistant director of alumni relations and reunion giving, at wpiper@usm.org with questions.