HISTORY

The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Public Works Association was established in 1954 to serve public works professionals representing local public agencies, private sector consultants, and suppliers serving communities throughout the state of Wisconsin. Single annual spring conferences were the norm until 1969, when fall conferences were added to the association's annual programming. During the chapter's formative years members were kept informed with direct mailings on special topics as they arose. In 1968 the chapter began publishing a quarterly newsletter, today known as Wisconsin Chapter News.

In 1995 the chapter was seeking to expand its membership throughout the state. In recognition of the existence of several pre-existing local groups of public work associations, the chapter decided to create technical committees. Known as "Parallel Institutes" to recognize their relationship to the national APWA technical institutes, these committees served to broaden active participation of chapter members. The institutes provide speakers and program topics for the semi-annual conferences, as well as serving as a forum for members across the state to share their ideas and solutions with each other.

Since 1997 the chapter has collaborated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to offer educational opportunities for supervisors with limited management experience. The chapter also provides scholarships for the ten-course Public Works Supervisory Academy.

Beginning in 2003 the chapter began recognizing the "Top 10 Public Works Projects in Wisconsin" with an annual award at the chapter's spring meeting.

For more information, see the chapter's website. For access to earlier versions of the website, click here.

 

INVENTORY

Series	Box	Folder	Folder Title
1	1	1	25th Anniversary Yearbook, 1979
1	1	2	40th Anniversary Yearbook, 1994
1	1	3	50th Anniversary Yearbook, 2004
1	1	4	"A Presidential Primer," 2004
1	1	5	Anniversary calendar with historical photographs and essay, 2004-2005
1	1	-	Annual meeting and conference programs
1	1	6	1955-1983
1	1	7	1984-2008
1	1	-	Chapter membership newsletters (various titles)
1	1	8	1968-1971
1	1	9	1972-1979
1	1	10	1980-1985
1	1	11	1986-1989
1	1	12	1990-1993
1	1	13	1994-1996
1	2	1	1997-1999
1	2	2	2000-2002
1	2	3	2003-2005
1	2	4	2006-2008
1	2	5	Goals and Objectives for the 1990s, May 1992
1	2	6	Handbook for the APWA-Wisconsin Chapter, 2002
1	2	7	Historical packet, including 1954 founding minutes, 1955 annual conference, gubernatorial proclamations.
1	2	-	Photographs and reprints
1	2	8	Chapter's past presidents, 1954-2004
1	2	9	Group photographs of chapter past presidents and officers, 1954, 1969, 1973, 1984
1	2	10	Recipients of the APWA "Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year" award, 1960-1998
1	2	11	Rheinfrank (William J.) Bequest, 2000