Students, friends and faculty gathered for a carillon concert and ice cream on Oct. 2 to remember the late Rebecca M. Blank, who served as the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chancellor from 2013-2022.
“I suggested that we have a fun Becky Blank tribute, ice cream and carillons as opposed to sitting in a room and having people talk,” Blank’s husband Hanns Kuttner told The Daily Cardinal.
During the carillon concert, attendees ate ice cream and enjoyed songs dear to Blank and Kuttner, such as “Varsity” and “Magic Penny,” which was played at their wedding.
Blank served as UW-Madison’s chancellor from 2013-2022 after a long career in education and as an economist in high level government positions, including a year as the acting United States Secretary of Commerce.
Some of Blank’s biggest accomplishments during her time at UW-Madison included Bucky’s Tuition Promise — which fully covers tuition and segregated fees for households with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less — and bringing commencement back to Camp Randall Stadium, according to Vice Chancellor for University Relations Charles Hoslet.
The tuition promise was expanded into Bucky’s Pell Pathway, which covers tuition, housing and “all remaining financial need” for Pell Grant-eligible students.
Kuttner emphasized Blank was proud of UW-Madison’s financial stability efforts to increase its student body’s size.
Heather Daniels, secretary of the faculty at UW-Madison, served on the search and screen committee that recommended Blank for the position. She said Blank was a natural fit for the university.
“It was immediately apparent that she would be a good leader for us here at UW,” Daniels told the Cardinal.
Blank’s political career prior to her chancellorship included United States Department of Commerce roles as the undersecretary for economic affairs, deputy secretary of commerce and acting secretary of commerce.
According to Hoslet, Blank’s political experience equipped her well for her role at UW-Madison.
“Having that set of experiences really helped her quickly adapt to the campus, and she knew what she needed to do to move the campus forward in a variety of ways,” Hoslet said. The two often had “long and interesting conversations” about the state of Wisconsin and national politics, he added.
Why the carillon?
The historic carillon tower at UW-Madison stands on Observatory Drive outside the Sewell Social Sciences Building. It contains 56 bells, each of which resonates with its own individual note.
Although Blank enjoyed listening to the carillon with her husband during her time at UW-Madison, Kuttner was especially fond of it.
“She tolerated it… no, she liked it,” Kuttner joked while remembering dragging her to go listen to the carillon.
Kuttner explained that the carillon was silenced for five years due to safety issues and was recently brought back in the last two years.
“I thought this would be a fun way to feature that the carillon is back,” he said.
The concert ended with “Varsity,” during which Kuttner encouraged everyone to stand and sing along to the historic song as a fun way to remember Blank.
Kuttner said Blank enjoyed having fun, and he said the concert was a way to represent that fun and to “bring Becky’s career on campus to a close.”
Attendants remembered Blank’s ability to form not only professional, but close, personal relationships with UW-Madison staff.
“She became not just my boss, but a mentor and a friend,” Hoslet said.
