Gov. Tony Evers and an array of state lawmakers, faculty and donors held a ceremony Thursday afternoon to debut Irving and Dorthy Levy Hall, University of Wisconsin-Madison's newest campus building.
A new home for the College of Letters and Science, the building will house eight different humanities departments: African American Studies, American Indian & Indigenous Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies, Gender & Women's Studies, History, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies.
“This building will establish a space for students, faculty and life to grow and collaborate together,” Evers said at the event. “Our UW system is one of our state's greatest successes, not only in inspiring and educating future readers, but bolstering our workforce and economy statewide. That's why we must make sure these institutions have the means to continue delivering a world-class curriculum, programming and support.”
The Levy family made a $20 million lead donation toward the building. UW-Madison alumni brothers Jeff and Marvin made the gift in memory of their parents, whom the building is named after. The building includes 1,100 instructional seats across 13 classrooms, including a 400-seat auditorium.
“My hope for this campus is that there is broad discussion of all sorts of views, and this building is ideal for that. Let's listen to every side of every issue of the departments that are teaching here, whether it's Indigenous studies or African studies or Jewish religious studies, it's good for undergrads to hear all sides of the issue,” Marvin Levy told The Daily Cardinal.
Marvin Levy spoke fondly of the architecture of the building, and its red bricked exterior. He emphasized the location, and how he hopes its unique appearance will make it a ‘beacon’ on campus.
"It's a challenge for the university to raise money for these buildings. We don't have the hugest economy here. This isn't Michigan, not Illinois, and so you need people like me and my brother that are committed to the success of the university to help them,” Marvin Levy said.
The $115 million building also received $60 million in state support. The state provided $60 million for the project in the 2021-23 biennial budget, as well as an additional $5 million through the most recent capital budget.
“[Given its] proximity to the dorms, the fact that we would have a lot of students who would come over here. We wanted a place where students want to come study. So nooks and crannies, open spaces,” Interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots told the Cardinal.
Wilcots described the building with the goal to “advance the Wisconsin Idea,” which is the University’s mission to have the work of the school benefit the state and world's most ‘urgent’ problems.
Marvin said they hope students will have a “wonderful learning environment” that both students and faculty can benefit from.
“The departments that are going to be in here are those that are essential to telling that human story. Different ethnicities, different backgrounds, different cultures coming together and thinking and sharing stories, and that's amazing,” Wilcots said.
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