About the Hilldale Lectures

The Hilldale Lectures, inaugurated in 1973-74, are sponsored by the four faculty divisions of the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Studies. Annually, each division has the opportunity to present a distinguished thinker whose contributions to contemporary culture have received international recognition.

The focus for discussion is each lecturer's response to problems that are of concern not only to the specialists of a single discipline but, more broadly, to everyone in the various departments of a division, and often, to the members of the scholar community as a whole.

About the Hilldale Fund

The Hilldale Fund was created in 1962 when the Board of Regents accepted a gift from the University of Wisconsin Foundation for the support of various university projects.

The original fund has since been augmented by annual contributions of income realized from the operation of the Hilldale Shopping Center. The shopping center, constructed on a portion of land formerly included in the University Hill Farms, has become an important part of Madison's retail business community.

The lecture series is one of a number of projects supported by the Hilldale Fund. These funds will continue to be used for underwriting important university programs designed to advance scholarly activity at the UW-Madison. The campus is grateful for the generous support that has made this lecture series possible.

2009-2010 Hilldale Lectures

November 5, 2009 - Physical Sciences
"From Magic to Mathematics and Back"
Persi Diaconis

 

Past Hilldale Lectures