$15B
[Wisconsin Blue Book. Wisconsin Historical Marker-Illustration of the State University of Madison. 1885.]
Charles Van Hise strongly supported the creation of a Department of Home Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in order to advance the goals of The Wisconsin Idea. He believed that women studying Home Economics should be held to the same high standards as men studying in other departments. Women completed 47 credits of science courses to earn a degree including courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, physiology, biology, and bacteriology. Van Hise and Administrators at the university worked together to break through social barriers that prevented women from earning college degrees that were as demanding as the degrees earned by men.
The Wisconsin Idea improved Wisconsin's economy by generating tax revenue and creating jobs for citizens of the state. The numbers below are estimates of how teaching, research, and outreach programs have impacted the state's economy.