UW-Whitewater mourns death of Ambrose
Released: October 14, 2002
The passing of acclaimed historian and author Stephen E. Ambrose, a Whitewater native, is felt across the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus and community.
“He was a tremendous person, an accomplished historian who grew up in this community and always shared his experiences when he visited our campus,” said UW-Whitewater Chancellor Jack Miller. “Stephen never forgot what growing up in a small community meant.”
Interviewed in May, 2001 Ambrose said, “When I’m asked where I’m from, I say Whitewater. This is where my roots are.”
Ambrose was born in Whitewater on Jan. 10, 1936. He earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ambrose was awarded an honorary doctorate degree of Humane Letters from UW-Whitewater in 2001, where he also served as the keynote speaker during the spring commencement ceremonies.
When addressing the 1,145 graduates Ambrose said, “What do we, your parents and your grandparents want from you? We want brightness, ambition, solid work habits, solid marriages and parenting skills. But we also want you to be explorers, take us to someplace we have never been. Your contributions will make the world a better place.”
The Ambrose University Heath Center at UW-Whitewater is named after the historian’s father, Stephen H. Ambrose, who was a physician on campus from 1946-1964.
Ambrose died Sunday of lung cancer. He was 66.
- Craig Coshun,npa@uww.edu
