Good morning.
Whitewater’s had a mild winter, and March begins here with a mostly cloudy day and a high of forty-one. Farther north, in places like Merrill, Wisconsin, it’s been a time of digging out from a heavy snowfall. In their part of the world, Punxsutawney Phil‘s forecast of six more weeks of winter looks about right.
The Wisconsin Historical Society lists a few Badger State accomplishments for March 1st:
1838 – First School in Madison
On this date the first school opened in Madison. The school was located in the front end of Isaac H. Palmer’s log cabin on the corner of what is now King and Doty streets, near the Capitol. Miss Louisa Brayton was hired to instruct pupils for $2 a week, half of which was spent on room and board.
1924 – Astronaut “Deke” Slayton Born
On this date astronaut Donald Kent “Deke” Slayton was born in Sparta. He graduated from Sparta High School and received a bachelor of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1949. Slayton entered the Air Force as an aviation cadet and received his wings in April 1943 after completing flight training at Vernon and Waco, Texas. During World War II, he flew 56 combat missions in Europe as a B-25 pilot with the 340th Bombardment Group and later joined the 319th Bombardment Group in Okinawa and flew seven combat missions over Japan in A-26s.
Slayton was one of the original seven Project Mercury astronauts selected in April 1959 but did not make a space flight until 1975. He was assigned to fly the second Project Mercury orbital mission, but was grounded by an irregular heart beat. Slayton made his first space flight as Apollodocking module pilot of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. From December 1975 through November 1977, Slayton served as Manager for Approach and Landing Test Project. Slayton retired from NASA in 1982. Slayton died of brain cancer on June 13, 1993 in League City, Texas. [Source: NASA]
1985 – Kohl purchases Bucks
On this day in 1985 Milwaukee businessman and future United States Senator Herb Kohl purchased the Milwaukee Bucks for 18 million dollars. By 1999 the team was worth an estimated 100 million dollars. [Source: Harvard Business School Bulletin, December 1999
Forbes lists the Bucks’ worth over $250 million today.
In Google’s daily puzzle, a little geography, a little anthropology: “What tribe has lived since 1300 AD near the canyon you’d explore from Bright Angel Trail?”