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History

From The Beginning...

We focused on sustainability.

UW-Green Bay was dubbed Eco U® by Harper’s Magazine and Newsweek in the early 1970s. Since our opening in 1968, our students have had the opportunity to literally get experience in the field, and be part of the "most exciting and promising educational experiment...anywhere."

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1970s aerial view of the UW-Green Bay campusUW-Green Bay archives photo of college women doing environmental advocacy in the wake of the 3-mile island nuclear disasterEarly photo of the UW-Green Bay herbarium1970s photo of college women having coffee in a lounge

Eco U® Historical Resources

Through the decades, UW-Green Bay has continued to expand and celebrate its environmental heritage. Here are a few of the eco-highlights:

Action Stressed by "Ecology U" article image

Taking Action

From day one, the environmental focus of the academic program had attracted attention in newspapers and magazines across the country.

See the 1971 Article

Building the library in 1970

Planning for Good

Campus planning for UW-Green Bay joined academic programs, residential life and the physical campus environment.

Read More

Cover of the 2009 Eco U issue of Inside UW-Green Bay Magazine

Featuring Eco U®

Our middle name is 'Green'. Our alum wrote the book on Earth Day. Friends call us "Eco U". Read more in the Inside Magazine issue feature.

See the 2009 Issue

Photo of a college woman speaking at an ecology rally at the first earth day

Making Memories

As other colleges jump on the eco-bandwagon, UW-Green Bay can claim it's heritage in environmental activism 40+ years ago.

See 1st Earth Day Photos

EMBI Student Kaity (Gilles) Lindner

Bridging Eco & Eco

A decade ago, UW-Green Bay launched a collaborative effort to bridge a perceived gap between ecology and economics.

Read the EMBI Story

Ban the car protest 1970

Banning the Car?

The "Ban the Car!" campaign, related to the 1970 inaugural Earth Day celebration, sought to draw attention to society’s addiction to oil and gas-guzzling transportation.

See the Factoid

Founding UW-Green Bay Chancellor Ed Weidner

The Who behind Eco U®

“I think the only way we can do something about the world is to assume that we are not all the people.”

Edward Weidner
Founding Chancellor

Weidner's Legacy

Daniela Beall

Join Our History

The work is far from done. Reach out to Daniela Beall, our Sustainability Coordinator. She'll be happy to connect you to partners and support projects. Together we can lay the foundation for the next generation.

Let's Talk