Wm Laux
William Laux made history ‘come alive." Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore. get wisdom.’’ To William H. Laux, long-time history professor and first director of the division of letters and science at UW-La Crosse, those words were the foundation of education. His philosophy was the basis of his unique teaching style.
Laux died in 1981 at the age of 87. From his birthplace in the farm community of Reese, Mich.. to a plantation in Columbia, South America, and finally to La Crosse, Laux brought a sense of humor and sensitivity to every place he worked. His ability to relate to all kinds of people made him a favorite of students and faculty alike.
Laux and his wife, Clara, moved to La Crosse in 1922. For the next 40 years, he taught history—Roman and Greek, and Medieval Europe—at UW-L. He served under five college presidents and saw the university’s name change three times during that period. Known for his ability to "make history come alive during his lecture, Laux’s classes were spiced with dramatizations of historic events and classroom impersonations. He had a wry sense of humor and was repeatedly pointing out the foibles of human nature,.. says fellow instructor and retired chemistry department head Milfred Cowley. At La Crosse, Laux served as chairrman of the history department, director of the division of special students and was an initiator in curriculum expansion and development of the department of letters and science. He retired in 1963.
Following graduation from the University of Michigan in 1916, Laux was secretary and companion to a plantation owner in Colombia, South America, where he remained for about a year. He returned to the U.S. to serve in the Army Air Force during World War I. However before Laux’s unit had a chance to go over seas, the armistice was signed. “You never saw a group of sadder people than you did on that day. We wanted to go over to Europe and win the war,” Laux once said. After a short teaching stint at the Colorado College of Education, the Lauxes moved to La Crosse.
Impact
While Laux is gone in body, his spirit will continue to live on the UWL campus. In 1963, a residence hall on the corner of East Avenue and La Crosse Street was named in his honor. The William Laux Scholarship was established in 1981 and will support history majors for generations to come.